Given name & surname
Rommel
“to rumble”
Rommel is a masculine given name from Dutch. It is used in English and German.
Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1943. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rommel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,519
- 1,519 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 36 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #5,007 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,007 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 5.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 36 in 2008. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,783 as a first name in 2020; 1,376 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rommel’s family of names
In German usage, Rommel as a surname has a related form in Rommelmann. In English usage, Rommel has a related form in RUMMEL. In German usage, Rommel as a surname has a related form in RUMMEL.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rommel has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Dutch roots to each of them.
8 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
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“cultivated land by a river”
>99% boys