Romulus is an ancient Roman male given name, derived from the Latin word "Romulius," which means 'a citizen of Rome.' The name is strongly associated with Romulus, the legendary founder and first king of Rome, who along with his twin brother Remus, was said to have been abandoned on the Tiber River and raised by a she-wolf. Romulus went on to establish the city of Rome in 753 BC. The name has been popular among European nobility throughout history, with notable bearers including several Holy Roman Emperors and kings of Romania.
The name Romulus has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past few decades, with a total of 400 births recorded between 1912 and 2023. While there were fluctuations in its usage throughout much of the 20th century, there has been a consistent rise since the late 1970s, culminating in a peak of 23 births in 2023. The most popular years for the name recently have been 2019 (15 births), 2020 (19 births), and 2021 (16 births).