Loyal
Loyal was the 983rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 233 babies. Its best year was 1890, when it ranked 555th; the most babies were born in 2022 (377). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,047 places. More babies were named Loyal in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning loyal, faithful · English, French, Latin
Say it LOY-ul /ˈlɔɪəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #983 boys, up 72 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 233boys
- Girls and boys
- 11% girls, 89% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022377 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,439babies recorded
What does the name Loyal mean?
Loyal is the English word loyal, from French loyal, Old French loial 'faithful, honest', from Latin legalis 'legal', from lex 'law'. Wiktionary records it as an English surname borrowed from French. As a first name it is an American virtue name, in records since the 1880s and taken up again recently with names like Royal and True.
loial (Old French, “faithful, true”)lēgālis (Latin, “legal, of the law”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Royal, Leal.
See also: English names, virtue names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Loyal', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'loyal' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Loyal popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,838 | #983 | 21 | 233 |
| 2020 | #3,661 | #1,055 | 41 | 190 |
| 2010 | — | #4,625 | — | 21 |
| 2000 | — | #6,170 | — | 11 |
| 1990 | — | #6,188 | — | 8 |
| 1980 | — | #5,960 | — | 6 |
| 1970 | — | #2,694 | — | 13 |
| 1960 | — | #1,508 | — | 29 |
| 1950 | — | #1,115 | — | 41 |
| 1940 | — | #959 | — | 45 |
| 1930 | — | #827 | — | 62 |
| 1920 | — | #658 | — | 94 |
| 1910 | — | #647 | — | 21 |
| 1900 | — | #1,127 | — | 7 |
| 1890 | — | #555 | — | 13 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Loyal, counting every spelling?
Loyal is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #942 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #983 for Loyal on its own. Together these spellings went to 233 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyal | 233 | #983 | 1,577 |
| Lloyal | — | — | 27 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Loyal?
233 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Loyal (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Loyal born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Loyal.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Loyal?
About 3,300 people born in the US named Loyal are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 25. That makes Loyal a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Loyal by state
How common Loyal was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.4×), Georgia (3.1×), South Carolina (3.1×), Alabama (2.5×), North Carolina (2.1×). In 23 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Loyal: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Loyal, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Loyal · Sibling names for Loyal
Questions about the name Loyal
What does Loyal mean?
Loyal means “loyal, faithful” (English, French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Loyal?
Loyal was the 983rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 233 babies. Its best year was 1890, when it ranked 555th; the most babies were born in 2022 (377). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,047 places. More babies were named Loyal in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Loyal a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 11% girls, 89% boys given the name Loyal in the US.
Where is Loyal most popular?
In 2021–2025, Loyal was most common in Louisiana (0.63 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and South Carolina.