Bilal vs Roman
Bilal and Romancompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bilal was ranked #414 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Bilal was ranked #619 and Roman #46 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Bilal was ranked #829 and Roman #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Bilal was ranked #424 and Roman #438 among boys in Norway.
Bilal and Roman over time
Bilal and Roman appear together in 3 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Roman held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bilal in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Bilal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Roman in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Roman moved ahead of Bilal in England and Wales · Boys — #216 and #241 the year before became #209 and #188.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Bilal and Roman changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2025, ending at #424 and #438.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Roman rose about as far as Bilal fell — from #216 and #605 in 1996 to #414 and #32 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Bilal and Roman were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 34 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #424 and #438.
List by list
Norway · Boys34 shared years, 1966–2025
Bilal held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Roman in 13.
Highest recorded here: Bilal #239 in 1999, Roman #196 in 1979.
The order changed in 1995: Bilal moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #414 and #405; by 1995 that had become #266 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bilal #424, Roman #438.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bilal held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Roman in 21.
Highest recorded here: Bilal #197 in 1999, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order changed in 2004: Roman moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #216 and #241; by 2004 that had become #209 and #188.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bilal #414, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2007–2025
Bilal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Roman in 11.
Highest recorded here: Bilal #429 in 2009, Roman #134 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bilal #829, Roman #179.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Bilal | Roman |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Latin Romanus, meaning 'Roman' — borne by several early saints and medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈro.man/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #424 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Roman has a recorded origin (Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages); Bilal does not have one recorded yet.
- Bilal and Roman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Bilal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Bilal
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #520 among boys in Norway in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #197 among boys in England and Wales, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #424 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Roman
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #333 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #50 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys