Romans
Usually a patronymic surname meaning “son of Roman,” though it may also reflect an old spelling or variant of Romaine.
The #8,813 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,108 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Romans is generally explained as coming from the personal name Roman, with the possessive or plural-looking ending -s meaning “of Roman” or “Roman’s son.” The name Roman itself ultimately goes back to Latin Roma, “Rome,” and originally meant someone from Rome or associated with it. Some 19th-century writers also treated Romans as a spelling or dialectal variant of Romaine, so the history may not be uniform in every family line.
History
Bardsley and Harrison both connect Romans with Romaine/Roman, showing that the surname was understood in England as a hereditary family name by the 19th century. The form appears in London directory evidence cited by Bardsley, suggesting an established but not especially common English surname. In some cases it may have been influenced by French spelling habits or by local variation in pronunciation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname books, Romans is sometimes discussed right next to Romaine, because the two forms could blur together in historical records.
From the historical record
“Rodmund, q.v.: cp. Rum(m)an (Teut.). ROMANS, (the) Roman's (Son) : v. Roman. ROME (A.-Fr.-Lat.) One from Rome [Fr. Rome, Lat. Roma] ROMEO (A.-Ital.-Lat.) Pilgrim to Rome [Ital. romeo ; f. Lat. Roma, Rome] ROMER (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Roamer, Wanderer; prop. Pilgrim to Rome [M,E. romer(e,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)