NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Romeo

A masculine name of Italian origin derived from the Italian name Romio representing the diminutive of a Germanic name.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Romeo is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Romeo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #185, with 270 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 270 births.

This profile covers 3,119 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Romeo is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 3,234 living people in the UK are called Romeo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Romeo ranked #185 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 270 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 270 boys were registered as Romeo.
  • Romeo ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.
  • About 3,234 living people in the UK are estimated to have Romeo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#185

2024

Births in 2024

270

Latest year

Peak year

2024

270 births

Estimated living

3,234

2026

Meaning

What does Romeo mean?

The name Romeo has its origins in the Italian language and culture, dating back to the Renaissance period in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Latin name "Romeus," which itself has roots in the word "Romanus," meaning "Roman."

One of the earliest and most famous references to the name Romeo is in William Shakespeare's tragic play "Romeo and Juliet," written around 1595. In the play, Romeo Montague is the male protagonist and one of the two star-crossed lovers. The play's enduring popularity has contributed significantly to the widespread recognition and popularity of the name.

In the 12th century, a French monk named Romee wrote a popular work called "Le Roman de la Rose" (The Romance of the Rose), which is considered one of the most influential literary works of the Middle Ages. While it is not clear if the monk's name was directly related to the name Romeo, it is one of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals named Romeo was Romeo di Piero, an Italian painter and architect who lived from around 1426 to 1464. He was known for his work on the Palazzo Vecchio and other notable buildings in Florence.

Another notable individual with the name Romeo was Romeo Castellucci, an Italian playwright and theatre director born in 1960. He is known for his avant-garde and experimental works, which often explore dark and controversial themes.

In the realm of music, Romeo Santos, a American singer and songwriter of Dominican descent, has achieved great success in the Latin music industry. He was born in 1981 and is best known for his work with the bachata group Aventura and his solo career.

Romeo Luckhoo, a Guyanese writer and politician, was born in 1923 and played a significant role in the literary and political spheres of his country. He served as a member of the Parliament of Guyana and authored several books, including the novel "The Sacrifice."

Finally, Romeo Crennel, an American football coach, was born in 1947 and has had a long and successful career in the National Football League (NFL). He has served as the head coach for the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as holding various coaching positions with other teams.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Romeo over time

The chart below shows babies named Romeo registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Romeo, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 270 births in 2024, compared with 270 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Romeo
068135203270199820112024

Decades

Romeo by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Romeo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #219 1,138 5
2010s #326 1,418 10
2000s #698 557 10
1990s #2922 6 2

Geography

Where Romeo is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Romeo. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Romeo ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #246 in 2024.

Scotland
16
Northern Ireland
6

Across the UK

Romeo in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#246 in 2024

16 years of NRS records, 128 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#272 in 2023

1 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Romeo

FAQ

Romeo: questions and answers

How popular is the name Romeo in the UK right now?

In 2024, Romeo was ranked #185 for boys in England and Wales, with 270 births registered.

When was Romeo most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 270 babies registered as Romeo in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Romeo?

A masculine name of Italian origin derived from the Italian name Romio representing the diminutive of a Germanic name.

How many people are called Romeo in the UK?

A total of 3,119 babies have been registered as Romeo across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 128 more in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Romeo most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Romeo ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #246 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.