Malachi vs Roman
Malachi 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, Malachi was ranked #290 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Malachi was ranked #727 and Roman #46 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Malachi was ranked #312 and Roman #161 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Malachi was ranked #577 and Roman #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Malachi and Roman over time
Malachi and Roman appear together in 3 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Roman held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Malachi 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.
Malachi 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
Malachi and Roman changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #290 and #32.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Malachi held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Roman in 19.
Highest recorded here: Malachi #191 in 2005, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order changed in 2008: Roman moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #211 and #236; by 2008 that had become #210 and #206.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Malachi #290, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2007–2025
Malachi held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Roman in 12.
Highest recorded here: Malachi #422 in 2013, Roman #142 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Malachi #577, Roman #179.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2009–2023
Malachi held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Roman in 4.
Highest recorded here: Malachi #242 in 2019, Roman #139 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Malachi #312, Roman #161.
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 | Malachi | 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 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); Malachi does not have one recorded yet.
- Malachi has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Roman.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Malachi doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Malachi
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #290 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #191 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 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