2000
#1,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.44
Uncommon Last name
Romo
A Spanish surname derived from a nickname meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,242 Americans carry the last name Romo. That puts it at #1,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,721 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Romo 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
29K
1 in 11,721
Census rank
#1,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,500 bearers of the surname Romo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Romo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Romo
The surname ROMO originated in Italy, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "Romulius," which was a diminutive form of the name "Romulus," the legendary founder of Rome. This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by someone who had a connection to the city of Rome or its surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ROMO surname can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, where a certain Giovanni ROMO was mentioned in a document dated 1568. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the Venetian region by that time.
In the 17th century, the ROMO name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, with records indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in regions such as Tuscany and Lombardy. One notable example is Gaspare ROMO, a painter from Verona who lived from 1628 to 1702 and was known for his religious works and frescoes in various churches throughout northern Italy.
As the centuries progressed, the ROMO surname also found its way into other European countries, likely through migration and trade. In Spain, there was a notable figure named Juan ROMO, who lived from 1763 to 1833 and was a prominent military leader during the Peninsular War against Napoleon's forces.
Another significant figure bearing the ROMO name was Giovanni Battista ROMO, an Italian architect and engineer who lived from 1777 to 1845. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Milan, including the Palazzo del Governo and the Church of Santa Maria della Passione.
In the 19th century, the ROMO surname gained further recognition with the exploits of José María ROMO, a Mexican military officer and politician who played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War and later served as the Governor of Nuevo León from 1849 to 1853.
While the ROMO name may have evolved and diversified over the centuries, its Italian roots and connection to the ancient city of Rome remain a significant part of its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Romo
Among Census respondents with the surname Romo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Romo 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 Romo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 22,976
- White8.3% · 2,105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 132
- Two or more races0.4% · 103
- Black or African American0.2% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Romo
Romo 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
#1,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,283
+6,217 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 8.91
Rank movement Up 291 places
2020
#1,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,500
-783 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 8.53
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,634 | 20,066 | 7.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,343 | 26,283 | 8.91 | +6,217 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 291 places |
| 2020 | #1,348 | 25,500 | 8.53 | -783 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 5 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 Romo 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 | #1,343 | #1,348 | -0.4% |
| Count | 26,283 | 25,500 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 8.91 | 8.53 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Romo bearers went from 26,283 to 25,500 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,343 to #1,348.
FAQ
Romo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Romo?
Name Census estimates that about 29,242 living Americans carry the surname Romo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,721 residents.
How common is Romo?
Romo ranks #1,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,500 people with the surname Romo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Romo.
Has Romo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Romo went from 26,283 recorded bearers to 25,500. That is a decrease of 783 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,343 to #1,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Romo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Romo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Romo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (22,976 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Romo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (8.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Romo (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 Romo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a nickname meaning "red-haired" or "ruddy-complexioned." 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 Romo (8.53 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 are called Romo?
You can see how many people have the surname Romo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.