Raul
Raul was the 634th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 440 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 190th; the most babies were born in 2000 (1,519). Over the last ten years it has moved down 191 places. More babies were named Raul in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning counsel wolf (Spanish form of Ralph) · Germanic, French, Spanish
Say it rah-OOL /rɑˈul/
- Rank in 2025
- #634 boys, down 77 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 440boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20001,519 babies
- Total since 1880
- 88,524babies recorded
What does the name Raul mean?
Raul is the English spelling of Spanish Raúl, which Wiktionary derives from Old French Raoul and Frankish Rādawulf. The same name became Ralph in English. DMNES explains it as rād, counsel or advice, plus wolf, so roughly "counsel wolf." The accent in Spanish Raúl splits the name into two syllables, rah-OOL. In the US it has been used since the early 20th century.
rād (Old Saxon, “counsel, advice”)wolf (Old High German, “wolf”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Pronunciation: Spanish Raúl has two syllables: rah-OOL.
Related names: Raúl, Raoul, Ralph, Rafe, Rudolph.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean wisdom, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Raúl' (Spanish section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ralph', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Raul popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 484 since 1929.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #634 | 440 |
| 2020 | #557 | 505 |
| 2010 | #340 | 926 |
| 2000 | #223 | 1,519 |
| 1990 | #209 | 1,461 |
| 1980 | #190 | 1,288 |
| 1970 | #227 | 1,038 |
| 1960 | #264 | 905 |
| 1950 | #255 | 646 |
| 1940 | #325 | 304 |
| 1930 | #281 | 408 |
| 1920 | #455 | 179 |
| 1910 | #776 | 16 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Raul, counting every spelling?
Raul has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #625 for boys in 2025, against #634 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Raul?
440 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Raul (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Raul 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 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Raul.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Raul?
About 72,300 people born in the US named Raul are alive today, with a median age of 36; half are between 23 and 53. That makes Raul mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Raul by state
How common Raul was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (2.9×), New Mexico (2.5×), Arizona (2.3×), Nevada (2.3×), California (2.3×). In 21 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 Raul: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Raul, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Raul · Sibling names for Raul
Questions about the name Raul
What does Raul mean?
Raul means “counsel wolf (Spanish form of Ralph)” (Germanic, French, Spanish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Raul?
Raul was the 634th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 440 babies. Its best year was 1980, when it ranked 190th; the most babies were born in 2000 (1,519). Over the last ten years it has moved down 191 places. More babies were named Raul in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Raul a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Raul in the US.
Where is Raul most popular?
In 2021–2025, Raul was most common in Texas (0.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Arizona.