NameCensus.

UK surname

Romer

A German occupational surname referring to a wheelwright or a person who made wheels and wheeled vehicles.

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Romer surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, down from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liberton West and Braid Hills, Haringey and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Romer is 262 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.0%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

1998

262 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Romer had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 228 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Romer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Romer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Romer 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 107 #20,008
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 184 #15,942
1911 historical 228 #13,759
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 262 #15,203
1999 modern 247 #15,932
2000 modern 249 #15,787
2001 modern 236 #16,094
2002 modern 234 #16,543
2003 modern 226 #16,766
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 206 #18,300
2009 modern 207 #18,600
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 227 #17,733
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 233 #17,707
2015 modern 233 #17,627
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Romers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, St John Hackney and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liberton West and Braid Hills, Haringey, West Berkshire, Wyre and Wychavon. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liberton West and Braid Hills City of Edinburgh
2 Haringey 035 Haringey
3 West Berkshire 007 West Berkshire
4 Wyre 010 Wyre
5 Wychavon 006 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Romer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Romer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Romer, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Romer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Romer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Romer 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

Romer 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

Romer falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Romer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Romer

The surname Romer is of German origin, and it is derived from the Old German word "romer," which means "a Roman." The name likely originated in the medieval period, when German-speaking people adopted the name to distinguish themselves as descendants of Roman settlers or to indicate their occupation as traders or merchants who traveled along Roman trade routes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Romer dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony. In this document, a person named Henricus Romer is mentioned in the town of Zwickau, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.

The name Romer also appears in the Stadtbücher von Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a collection of municipal records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname Romer, including Johannes Romer, a merchant who lived in the town in the late 14th century.

In England, the name Romer is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants during the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable figure from this period is Olaus Romer (1644-1710), a Danish astronomer and inventor who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the measurement of the speed of light.

Another famous bearer of the surname Romer is the German painter and printmaker Philipp Otto Runge (1777-1810), who was a prominent figure in the Romantic movement and is known for his innovative approach to color theory and his symbolic landscapes.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Romer is that of Johann Romer (1660-1726), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. He was a member of the German Pietist movement and played a significant role in the establishment of the Moravian Church in America.

Other notable individuals with the surname Romer include Alfred Romer (1894-1973), an American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist who made significant contributions to the study of vertebrate evolution, and Markus Romer (born 1986), a German professional footballer who has played for several clubs in the Bundesliga.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Romer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Romer 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. Middlesex leads with 49 Romers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 49 4.02x
Surrey 28 4.71x
Berkshire 11 12.02x
Hampshire 11 4.40x
Essex 6 2.49x
Lancashire 5 0.35x
Yorkshire 4 0.33x
Monmouthshire 3 3.40x
Worcestershire 3 1.88x
Sussex 2 0.97x
Kent 1 0.24x
Merionethshire 1 4.48x
Warwickshire 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 12 Romers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.41x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 12 15.41x
Islington London 10 8.46x
Reading St Giles 10 111.36x
Portsea 9 18.38x
St Marylebone London 8 12.29x
Westminster St James 8 63.85x
Kensington London 7 10.33x
Lambeth 6 5.64x
West Ham 6 11.29x
Clapham 5 32.81x
Shoreditch London 5 9.46x
Liverpool 4 4.55x
Abergavenny 3 90.91x
Worcester St John 3 157.89x
Chelsea London 2 5.44x
Hampstead London 2 10.53x
New Windsor 2 769.23x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 2 46.30x
St Anne Soho London 2 28.74x
St Faith Winchester 2 172.41x
St Pancras London 2 2.04x
Streatham 2 22.12x
Bury 1 6.05x
Cottingham 1 38.46x
Hartley 1 909.09x
Hove 1 11.09x
Isleworth 1 18.45x
Kimberworth 1 14.93x
Kingston On Thames 1 7.01x
Llanelltyd 1 555.56x
Lurgashall 1 322.58x
Mile End Old Town 1 5.20x
Old Windsor 1 94.34x
Paddington London 1 2.23x
Rugby 1 24.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 5
Ann 4
Eliza 3
Georgina 3
Mary 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Julia 2
(Mrs) 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Creatone 1
Ellen 1
Eviline 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Larry 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Marie 1
Maude 1
Millicent 1
Paulina 1
Peobalio 1
R. 1
Rebecca 1
Rosalia 1
Rosalie 1
Sarah 1
Sidonie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Robert 4
William 4
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
August 2
Charles 2
Francis 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
(Col.) 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bertram 1
Cast. 1
Cecil 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Ignatius 1
Mark 1
Ralph 1
Rowland 1
S.H. 1
Saml. 1
Thomas 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Romer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Romer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Romer surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Romer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Romer a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Romer surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a wheelwright or a person who made wheels and wheeled vehicles.

What does the Romer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Romer 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.