2011 in Roman Numerals
2011 is written MMXI in Roman numerals, 15 years in the past. Reading left to right, M + M + X + I add up to 2011, which is exactly why Roman-numeral years suit tattoos and dedications: the letters carry the date without a single Arabic digit.
How MMXI is formed
M + M + X + I = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 1 = 2011.
Where MMXI is used
A year numeral turns up in different places from a bare number. These are the four that send people looking for MMXI.
- Date tattoos and engravings. A year-only piece is just MMXI, and a full date stacks the day and month above it. MMXI is 4 characters long, which matters more than people expect: it sets how wide the bottom line of a stacked date will sit.
- Copyright lines in credits. Film and television end credits have long set the copyright year in Roman numerals, so a production from 2011 carries MMXI on its end card. If you are reading a numeral off a title sequence rather than writing one, this is usually the one you have found.
- Cornerstones and dedications. Buildings, monuments and foundation stones carry their year in numerals, which is why MMXI turns up carved rather than typed. Every year between 2000 and 2099 opens with MM, so on a datestone it is the letters after MM that tell you which year you are actually looking at.
- Anniversaries. In 2026, a date from 2011 is 15 years old, so MMXI is the numeral for a 15th anniversary this year. Wedding and birth years are the two most common reasons to want MMXI written correctly.
Convert another year or number
2011 is written MMXI in Roman numerals.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the year 2011 in Roman numerals?
The year 2011 is written MMXI. Reading left to right that is M (1000) + M (1000) + X (10) + I (1), added together to reach 2011.
Why does MMXI start with MM?
MM is the numeral for 2000, and every year from 2000 to 2099 opens with it. The letters after it, XI, carry the remaining 11.
Where will I see MMXI written down?
MMXI turns up on film and television copyright lines, foundation stones, memorials and date tattoos. If you are reading MMXI off a title sequence or a building, you have found the year 2011.
How do you write 2011 for a tattoo?
The correct form is MMXI. For a vertical piece the same letters are simply stacked, and for a full date the day and month sit above the year on their own lines. Keeping the spelling standard means a tattoo artist can copy it directly.
Years people look up next
The decade anchors either side of 2011, its immediate neighbours, and the quarter and half century marks that anniversaries land on.