The word "Roman" comes from the Latin word "Romanus", which was the name given to the inhabitants of the ancient city of Rome. The name "Rome" is thought to have originated from the Etruscan word "Ruma", which means "river", as the city was founded on the banks of the Tiber River. The word "Romanus" was first used in the 2nd century BC, and it eventually became the name of the empire that the ancient Romans built, as well as the people who lived in it.