Are Roma Gypsies uniquely from Romania?
No, the word “Roma” has nothing to do with Romania, although some do live there. In their own language “rom” means “husband”. The Roma people originated in India and moved west into the Byzantine Empire about 40 generations (1000+ years) ago and spread throughout Europe. They are first recorded in Greece about 800 AD, had reached Germany by 1424, and had arrived in Sweden and Scotland by the 16th century. Groups also moved to North and South America in colonial times.
