2000
#8,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,574
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Romans
A surname indicating an ancestor from Rome or an ancient Roman citizen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,889 Americans carry the last name Romans. That puts it at #9,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Romans surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Romans with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,134
Census rank
#9,225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,391 bearers of the surname Romans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Romans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Romans
The surname ROMANS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "romanus" or "roman," which referred to someone of Roman descent or associated with the Roman Empire.
The earliest known record of the ROMANS surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Romanus" in various counties across England. This suggests that the name may have been used to identify individuals who had some connection to the Roman civilization or were descendants of Roman settlers in Britain.
During the Middle Ages, the ROMANS name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of England, such as Sussex and Kent, which were areas with a strong Roman influence and legacy. The name may have also been adopted by individuals who lived near Roman roads or settlements.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the ROMANS surname was William ROMANS, a 13th-century landowner and knight from Sussex, who was mentioned in royal charters and land records during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272).
In the 14th century, John ROMANS, a prominent merchant from London, was recorded as a member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, one of the oldest livery companies in the city. His business dealings and wealth contributed to the prominence of the ROMANS name in the capital.
During the Tudor period, the ROMANS surname gained further recognition with the exploits of Sir Thomas ROMANS (1485-1544), a sailor and explorer who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on several expeditions to the Americas. He is credited with being one of the first Englishmen to set foot in present-day North Carolina.
Another notable figure was Robert ROMANS (1570-1635), a renowned playwright and poet during the Elizabethan era. His works were performed at the Globe Theatre and praised by contemporaries such as William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson.
In the 18th century, the ROMANS name was prominently associated with the field of architecture. James ROMANS (1720-1795), a renowned architect and surveyor, designed several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Somerset House.
Throughout its history, the ROMANS surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, merchants, artists, and explorers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Romans
Among Census respondents with the surname Romans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Romans bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Romans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 2,930
- Two or more races4.2% · 141
- Black or African American4.1% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Romans
Romans appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,715
+141 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 323 places
2020
#9,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,391
-324 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,490 | 3,574 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,813 | 3,715 | 1.26 | +141 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 323 places |
| 2020 | #9,225 | 3,391 | 1.13 | -324 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 412 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Romans surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,813 | #9,225 | -4.7% |
| Count | 3,715 | 3,391 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.13 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Romans bearers went from 3,715 to 3,391 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 412 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,813 to #9,225.
FAQ
Romans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Romans?
Name Census estimates that about 3,889 living Americans carry the surname Romans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,134 residents.
How common is Romans?
Romans ranks #9,225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,391 people with the surname Romans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,889), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Romans.
Has Romans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Romans went from 3,715 recorded bearers to 3,391. That is a decrease of 324 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,813 to #9,225.
What does the Census say about the background of Romans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Romans, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Romans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (2,930 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Romans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Romans (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Romans mean?
A surname indicating an ancestor from Rome or an ancient Roman citizen. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Romans (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Romans?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.