Explore the Family Name Rome

The meaning of Rome

1. American shortened and altered form, under the French influence in LA, of German Rommel. 2. English: from Rome, either a habitational name from the city of Rome or Italy in general or a nickname for someone who had a connection with Rome, perhaps having been there on a pilgrimage. The Italian city was commonly pronounced and spelled Room in English until the 19th century. Compare Roman, Romer. 3. Italian (Sicily): variant of Romeo with loss of the final syllable. 4. Slovenian: probably from a short form of any of several personal names beginning with Rom-, for example Roman. History: It was Johann Rommel from the Palatinate, Germany, whose surname had changed to Rome by the time of his death in LA in 1771. The city of Romeville in LA got its name from the Rome family. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Benoit, Camile, Emile, Fernand, Gracien, Ludger, Ulysse.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rome in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rome has seen a slight decline in the early 21st century. In 2000, it ranked 6230th most common in the United States, and by 2010, it had dropped to 6704th, a change of -7.61%. The count of people with the Rome surname also dipped slightly from 5056 in 2000 to 5037 in 2010, marking a -0.38% change. Consequently, the proportion of people named Rome per 100k population declined by -8.56% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#6,230#6,704-7.61%
Count5,0565,037-0.38%
Proportion per 100k1.871.71-8.56%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rome

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest ethnic identity associated with the Rome surname is White, which decreased from 76.76% in 2000 to 73.60% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Black ethnicity group experienced a slight increase from 18.26% to 19.38%. The Two or more races category saw the largest growth at 56.00%, increasing from 1.25% to 1.95%. The Hispanic ethnicity also saw significant growth at 49.79%, while the Asian/Pacific Islander group grew by 15.24%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group witnessed minimal change, with a slight increase of 5.56%.

20002010Change
White76.76%73.6%-4.12%
Black18.26%19.38%6.13%
Hispanic2.33%3.49%49.79%
Two or More Races1.25%1.95%56%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.05%1.21%15.24%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.36%0.38%5.56%

Rome ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Rome is British & Irish, which comprises 29.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (18.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, and Nigerian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish29.3%
French & German26.6%
Ashkenazi Jewish18.4%
Other25.8%
Rome

Possible origins of the surname Rome

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Rome have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom61.60%
Greater London, United Kingdom61.60%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom60.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom60.80%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom60.00%

What Rome haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Rome is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-P179 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ernest, Melo, Florez, Gallo, Fernandez, Anders, Franco, Pereira, Lima, Silva.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rome surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

romePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Rome have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Rome

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Rome" Surname 41.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Rome

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Rome" Surname 22.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Rome

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Rome" Surname 23.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Rome

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Rome" Surname 12.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Rome?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Rome are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%