Romeo

Once upon a time, Juliet had a lover. His name, Romeo, actually has roots dating back long before Shakespeare wrote his famous play.

Romeo is the Italian form of the Latin Romaeus, which possibly means "from Rome." It could also mean "pilgrim to Rome," which is shocking because Romeo was definitely not a holy pilgrim. Shakespeare took his name from the Italian stories of Luigi Da Porto and Matteo Bandello featuring lovers Giulietta and Romeo. It is unknown if Da Porto's Romeo was any better than Shakespeare's, but it's also not likely.

Romeo was never a popular American name, but it ranked in the top 1000 several times, especially between 1890 and 1949. It reentered in 1996, the same year Baz Luhrmann's edgy take Romeo + Juliet hit theaters. Romeo has been rising at a moderate to slow pace, though, and remains outside the top 300. 

Because Shakespeare's Romeo takes his own life, he does not provide little boys with a good role model. That can turn some parents away. However, we are also living in the age of Gothic names; girls' names Delilah and Ophelia are on the rise. It would not be surprising, then, if Romeo continues to rise. Perhaps the name is more popular now than ever before. 

Romeo is also at its peak in France, another country where it has ranked most years. It is rising in Belgium, Spain, Quebec, and its origin nation of Italy, too.

It can be risky to name a son after a tragic rebellious hero. Even if parents are not after a Gothic name, though, there is another way to look at Romeo. Since it means "from Rome," parents who love ancient Rome or traveling to Rome will also take interest in Romeo. It fits in with Mateo and Roman, too.

STYLES:

Exotic, Italian, Shakespearean

SISTERS:

Evangeline, Paloma, Donatella, Juno, Lorelei, Aurora, Scarlett, Giovanna

BROTHERS:

Fabio, Angelo, Raphael, Orlando, Titus, Constantine, Lorenzo, Dante

ALTERNATIVES:

Amadeus, Demetrius, Horatio, Montague, Othello, Reynaldo, Rodrigo, Tybalt

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Romeo." Names, Behind the Name, 9 Jun. 2023, https://www.behindthename.com/name/romeo. 

Rosenkrantz, Lindo. "Romeo." Names, Nameberry, 25 Oct. 2023, https://nameberry.com/babyname/romeo. 

Sandel, Abby. "Name of the Day: Romeo." Appellation Mountain, 30 Sept. 2008, https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-romeo/. 

What do you think about Romeo? 

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