Directly from the name of the Eternal City, possibly from Etruscan 'Rumon' meaning river.
Rome is a place-name turned personal name, drawing its power from one of the most symbolically charged cities in world history. The city’s ancient name, Roma in Latin, has an origin that is still debated; classical tradition links it to Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, while other theories reach into older Italic and Etruscan roots. As a given name, Rome belongs to the modern fashion for place names, but unlike many of them it comes already saturated with imperial, religious, architectural, and literary associations.
To say Rome is to invoke layers of civilization: the Roman Republic and Empire, the language of law and citizenship, the grandeur of roads, arches, and forums, and later the central place of Rome in Catholic Christianity. The city has been a symbol of worldly power, sacred authority, and historical continuity all at once. Writers from Virgil to Gibbon, and pilgrims, artists, and travelers across centuries, have treated Rome as both an actual city and an emblem of destiny, ruin, memory, and renewal.
As a personal name, Rome is relatively recent and modern in tone. It feels bold, spare, and masculine, with the clean force of a single syllable. Earlier generations were more likely to use Roman or Romulus-inspired forms; contemporary parents may choose Rome precisely because it is direct and evocative.
Its perception has evolved from geographic reference to statement name, one that suggests grandeur, permanence, and a worldly imagination. Few place names carry quite so much history in so little sound.