Gavin vs Roman
Gavin 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, Gavin was ranked #898 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Gavin was ranked #270 and Roman #139 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gavin was ranked #348 and Roman #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Gavin and Roman over time
Gavin and Roman appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Gavin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Roman in none. 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 2020, Roman moved ahead of Gavin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #285 and #322 the year before became #324 and #172.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gavin held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Roman in 22.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #185 in 1996, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order changed in 2003: Roman moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #343 and #411; by 2003 that had become #479 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gavin #898, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2001–2025
Gavin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Roman in 6.
Highest recorded here: Gavin #54 in 2001, Roman #134 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Roman moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #285 and #322; by 2020 that had become #324 and #172.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gavin #348, 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 | Gavin | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (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); Gavin does not have one recorded yet.
- Gavin and Roman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Gavin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gavin
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #70 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1994 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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