Roman vs Rufus
Roman and Rufuscompared 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, Roman was ranked #32 and Rufus #422 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Roman was ranked #534 and Rufus #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Roman and Rufus over time
Roman and Rufus appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Roman held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rufus 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.
Rufus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Roman held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Rufus in 4.
Highest recorded here: Roman #23 in 2021, Rufus #236 in 2012.
The order changed in 2002: Roman moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #460 and #460; by 2002 that had become #411 and #468.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Roman #32, Rufus #422.
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 | Roman | Rufus |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Latin Romanus, meaning 'Roman' — borne by several early saints and medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈro.man/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #50 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #422 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Roman has a recorded origin (Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages); Rufus does not have one recorded yet.
- Roman and Rufus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Roman; Rufus doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Rufus
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #552 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #236 among boys in England and Wales, in 2012 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #422 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys