Jamal vs Roman
Jamal 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, Jamal was ranked #757 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jamal was ranked #352 and Roman #46 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Jamal was ranked #660 and Roman #172 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2016, Jamal was ranked #526 and Roman #468 among boys in Norway.
Jamal and Roman over time
Jamal and Roman appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Roman held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jamal in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jamal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jamal and Roman changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1956 and 2016, ending at #526 and #468.
- Longest-running competitions
Jamal and Roman were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1956 to 2016, ending at #526 and #468.
List by list
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1956–2016
Jamal held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Roman in 34.
Highest recorded here: Jamal #274 in 1957, Roman #196 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Jamal #526, Roman #468.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jamal held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Roman in 22.
Highest recorded here: Jamal #220 in 1996, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order changed in 2003: Roman moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #258 and #411; by 2003 that had become #245 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jamal #757, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2001–2023
Jamal held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Roman in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jamal #337 in 2009, Roman #142 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jamal #660, Roman #172.
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 | Jamal | 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 | Scotland · Boys #352 (2024) | 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); Jamal does not have one recorded yet.
- Jamal and Roman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Jamal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jamal
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #757 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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