Ismail vs Roman
Ismail 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, Ismail was ranked #286 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ismail was ranked #404 and Roman #46 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ismail was ranked #577 and Roman #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ismail was ranked #252 and Roman #438 among boys in Norway.
Ismail and Roman over time
Ismail and Roman appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Roman held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ismail in 0.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ismail and Roman changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1958 and 2025, ending at #252 and #438.
- Longest-running competitions
Ismail and Roman were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 51 years, from 1958 to 2025, ending at #252 and #438.
List by list
Norway · Boys51 shared years, 1958–2025
Ismail held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Roman in 30.
Highest recorded here: Ismail #225 in 2012, Roman #196 in 1965.
The order changed in 1995: Ismail moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #420 and #405; by 1995 that had become #254 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ismail #252, Roman #438.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ismail held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Roman in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ismail #219 in 2004, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order changed in 2003: Roman moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #237 and #411; by 2003 that had become #252 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ismail #286, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2006–2025
Ismail held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Roman in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ismail #472 in 2024, Roman #134 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ismail #577, 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 | Ismail | 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 #252 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Ismail does not have one recorded yet.
- Ismail and Roman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Ismail doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ismail
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #305 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1949–2025
Highest recorded position: #218 among boys in Norway, in 2007 (recorded 1949–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #252 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