In most Romance languages, the boys' name Romeo is understood to mean from or of the city of Rome. The influence of the Roman empire means that there are several names linked to the city, such as Roman, Romulus and Romana.
It has been suggested that the name can be traced to one specific root - the Late Latin Romaeus, meaning a pilgrim to Rome.
The name is uncommon in English and closely associated with the male protagonist of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, one of his best-known plays. In recent years, it was chosen by David and Victoria Beckham as the name of their second son, Romeo James.
Famous people called Romeo:
Romeo, protagonist of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo Stodart, frontman of English band The Magic Numbers
L'il Romeo, American rapper (born Percy Romeo Miller Jr.)
Romeo, British MC and member of So Solid Crew (born Marvin Dawkins)
Can be shortened to:
Romy - although, be warned that this a girls' name in its own right. Surnames to avoid Romeo with:
Surnames beginning with an 'O' sound, ie. O'Connor might cause problems as when said aloud this combination of sounds may result in a sound echo which can be unpleasant and difficult to pronounce.
Similar names:
Foreign variants include Roman (Russian/Polish/German), Romain (French) and Romano (Italian). If you like Romeo's association with love, consider names with similar themes such as Philo (loving) or the Welsh Carwyn (blessed love).
Female variations:
English variations include: Romana, Romy, Romily and Roma
Celebrities who named their baby Romeo:
David and Victoria Beckham
Jon Bon Jovi