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From Middle English and Old English, from Proto-West Germanic *Rūmu, from Proto-Germanic *Rūmō under influence from Late Latin Rōma (“Rome; Constantinople; Roman Empire”), from Latin Rōma (“Rome”).

From Seljuk Old Anatolian Turkish and Ottoman Turkish روم (Rum, “Rome; Byzantine Empire; central Anatolia”), from Arabic رُوم (rūm, “Rome; Byzantine Empire”), from Middle Persian 𐭧𐭫𐭥𐭬 (Hrom), from Medieval Greek Ῥωμανία (Rhōmanía, “Byzantine Empire”), from Latin Romani (“Romans”), from Roma (“Rome”). Doublet of Roma and Rome.

In common use since at least 1654, of uncertain origin. Theories include: * that it is a shortening of rumbullion or rumbustion, names for rum also attested in the Caribbean during the mid-17th century, * that it derives from rummer, from Dutch roemer, * that it is from a Romani word for "strong, potent" which is (perhaps) the source of ramboozle and rumfustian (however, these drinks were not originally made with rum), * that it derives from rum ("fine, good") or from the last syllable of Latin saccharum (given the harsh taste of earlier rum, this origin is now considered unlikely)

From the earlier form rome (“good”, slang); possibly of Romani origin; compare rom.

Shortening of rummy.