Romeo

♂ Boy

Pronounced ROH-mee-oh /ˈroʊmioʊ/High

Meaning: Pilgrim to Rome; one who has made the pilgrimage to RomeHigh

In 30 seconds: An Italian name meaning 'pilgrim to Rome,' made eternal by Shakespeare's star-crossed lover. Romeo is the most romantic male name in the English language — grand, passionate, and surprisingly wearable in the modern world.

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Origin HighItalian, Latin

MeaningPilgrim to Rome; one who has made the pilgrimage to Rome

U.S. rank (2025)#302 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births1,129 boys (0.06% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 26,857

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Romeo is an Italian name derived from the Latin Romaeus and Italian romeo, meaning 'a pilgrim to Rome' or 'one from Rome.' In medieval Italy, someone who had made the pilgrimage to Rome was called a romeo (just as someone who had visited Jerusalem was called a palmer). Shakespeare used the existing Veronese name for his 1594 tragedy.

Romeo remained rare in the English-speaking world after Shakespeare — the play made it too associated with doomed romance. In the 21st century, celebrity use (notably David and Victoria Beckham, who named a son Romeo in 2002) transformed its image, and it entered the U.S. top 200 for boys, embraced especially in Latin American communities.

Did you know? The real Romeos existed before Shakespeare — medieval Italian pilgrims to Rome were called romeo in Italian, and the name was a genuine given name in 14th-century Verona before the playwright immortalised it.

Overall data confidence 90%

Behind the Name — Romeo — etymology and historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

RomeuRemi

Nicknames

RoRomy

Famous Bearers

★Romeo Beckham (2002–present)
Son of David and Victoria Beckham, whose birth brought the name Romeo to wide modern attention.

If you like Romeo…

Dante— Italian literary name with the same deep Renaissance poetry and passion

Luciano— Italian masculine name with the same melodic three-syllable Latin warmth

Matteo— Italian form of Matthew with the same modern Italian-name appeal

Enzo— Italian short-form name with the same passionate Mediterranean character

Frequently Asked

What does the name Romeo mean?

Romeo is an Italian name meaning 'pilgrim to Rome' or 'one from Rome,' from the medieval Italian romeo (a Rome pilgrim).

How do you pronounce Romeo?

It is said ROH-mee-oh /ˈroʊmioʊ/ — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Romeo a boy or girl name?

Romeo is used almost exclusively as a boys' name.

How popular is Romeo?

Romeo entered the U.S. top 200 for boys in the 2010s and continues to rise.