NameCensus.

UK surname

Romans

A surname indicating an ancestor from Rome or an ancient Roman citizen.

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Romans surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 334, ranked #13,640, up from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington and Wistow, Riccall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Swindon and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Romans is 336 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 153.0%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

334

2016, ranked #13,640

Peak year

2013

336 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Romans had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 334 in 2016, ranked #13,640.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 225 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Romans surname distribution map

The map shows where the Romans surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Romans surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Romans over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 83 #19,181
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 182 #16,057
1911 historical 225 #13,874
1997 modern 307 #13,328
1998 modern 317 #13,392
1999 modern 330 #13,125
2000 modern 321 #13,337
2001 modern 317 #13,228
2002 modern 311 #13,666
2003 modern 309 #13,559
2004 modern 307 #13,685
2005 modern 293 #14,030
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 290 #14,372
2008 modern 287 #14,580
2009 modern 305 #14,257
2010 modern 313 #14,289
2011 modern 323 #13,868
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 336 #13,574
2014 modern 332 #13,807
2015 modern 334 #13,645
2016 modern 334 #13,640

Geography

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Where Romans' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Swindon, Lyddington, Wistow, Riccall, Cawood and Gloucester City: St Owen (incl. jail in 1801 and 1811 and infirmary in 1801). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Swindon, Rhondda Cynon Taf and The Vale of Glamorgan. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Wistow, Riccall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Cawood Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Gloucester City: St Owen (incl. jail in 1801 and 1811 and infirmary in 1801) Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 004 Selby
2 Swindon 009 Swindon
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 023 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Selby 005 Selby
5 The Vale of Glamorgan 013 Vale of Glamorgan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Romans

These lists show first names that appear often with the Romans surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Romans

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Romans, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Romans surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Romans household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Romans is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Romans is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Romans falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Romans is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Romans, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Romans families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Romans surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 37 Romans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.90x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 37 2.90x
Gloucestershire 29 11.48x
Wiltshire 17 14.93x
Middlesex 16 1.24x
Berkshire 6 6.21x
Midlothian 6 3.48x
Surrey 6 0.96x
Lancashire 5 0.33x
Kent 4 0.91x
Carmarthenshire 2 3.69x
Durham 2 0.52x
Cheshire 1 0.35x
Glamorgan 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gloucester St Owen in Gloucestershire leads with 18 Romans' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6428.57x.

Place Total Index
Gloucester St Owen 18 6428.57x
Riccall 10 2857.14x
Staines 9 441.18x
Wroughton 8 808.08x
Cawood 7 1428.57x
Swindon 7 79.28x
Bourton 6 4615.38x
Worsbrough 6 160.43x
Clapham 5 31.06x
Newbattle 5 340.14x
Salford 5 11.13x
Paddington London 4 8.45x
Selby 4 149.81x
South Hamlet 4 256.41x
Wrotham 4 273.97x
Clifton In Halifax 3 394.74x
Gloucester St Mary Crypt 3 769.23x
St Marylebone London 3 4.36x
Berkeley 2 142.86x
Bridlington 2 68.49x
Chisledon 2 384.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 7.71x
Gloucester St Michael 2 344.83x
Llanelly 2 16.37x
Birkenhead 1 4.41x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 86.96x
Darlington 1 6.76x
Duddingston 1 28.90x
Ecclesfield 1 10.70x
Eglwysilan 1 25.71x
Haxby 1 400.00x
Monkwearmouth 1 27.25x
Stoke 1 33.78x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Romans surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Romans surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Charles 6
George 6
John 6
Thomas 6
William 4
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Harry 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Young 2
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Awn 1
David 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Giuseppe 1
Joe 1
Jonathan 1
Ricars 1
Sidnes 1
Sydney 1

FAQ

Romans surname: questions and answers

How common was the Romans surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Romans surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Romans surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 334 in 2016. That gives Romans a modern rank of #13,640.

What does the Romans surname mean?

A surname indicating an ancestor from Rome or an ancient Roman citizen.

What does the Romans map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Romans bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.