2000
#4,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,452
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Romine
Derived from the Germanic personal name Ruman, meaning "Roman," referring to someone from Rome or of Roman heritage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,191 Americans carry the last name Romine. That puts it at #4,795 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,845 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Romine 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.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,845
Census rank
#4,795
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,143 bearers of the surname Romine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4795th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Romine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Romine
The surname Romine originated in France. It is derived from the Old French word "romer," which means "pilgrim to Rome." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had made a pilgrimage to Rome or was associated with the journey in some way.
The earliest recorded instances of the Romine surname can be traced back to the 12th century in France. There are references to individuals with the name in various historical records and manuscripts from that time period, although the exact details are unclear.
One notable person with the surname Romine was Jean Romine, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France during the 14th century. He served under the French king Charles V and is mentioned in several chronicles from that era.
Another historical figure with the Romine surname was Pierre Romine, a French merchant and explorer who lived in the 16th century. He was involved in trade ventures and expeditions to the Americas, although the specifics of his travels and achievements are not well documented.
In the 17th century, there was a Jacques Romine, a French author and philosopher who wrote on various topics ranging from politics to religion. His works were published in Paris and gained some recognition during his lifetime.
Moving to the 18th century, there was a François Romine, a French artist known for his intricate engravings and etchings. He worked in Paris and was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which was a prestigious art institution at the time.
During the 19th century, a notable figure with the Romine surname was Émile Romine, a French scientist who made significant contributions to the field of chemistry. He was born in 1820 and conducted research on various chemical compounds and reactions.
Over time, the Romine surname spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and eventually to other continents as people migrated and settled in new areas. However, the origins of the name can be traced back to its French roots and the historical significance associated with pilgrimages to Rome.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Romine
Among Census respondents with the surname Romine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Romine 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 Romine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 6,387
- Two or more races4.0% · 284
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 223
- Black or African American2.2% · 156
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Romine
Romine 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
#4,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,704
+252 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 201 places
2020
#4,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,143
-561 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 2.39
Rank movement Down 191 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,403 | 7,452 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,604 | 7,704 | 2.61 | +252 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 201 places |
| 2020 | #4,795 | 7,143 | 2.39 | -561 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 191 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 Romine 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 | #4,604 | #4,795 | -4.1% |
| Count | 7,704 | 7,143 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.39 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Romine bearers went from 7,704 to 7,143 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 191 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,604 to #4,795.
FAQ
Romine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Romine?
Name Census estimates that about 8,191 living Americans carry the surname Romine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,845 residents.
How common is Romine?
Romine ranks #4,795 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,143 people with the surname Romine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,191), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Romine.
Has Romine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Romine went from 7,704 recorded bearers to 7,143. That is a decrease of 561 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,604 to #4,795.
What does the Census say about the background of Romine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Romine, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Romine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (6,387 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Romine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Romine (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 Romine mean?
Derived from the Germanic personal name Ruman, meaning "Roman," referring to someone from Rome or of Roman heritage. 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 Romine (2.39 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 share the surname Romine?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.