Royal
Royal was the 476th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 640 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 279th; the most babies were born in 2021 (888). Over the last ten years it has moved down 9 places. More babies were named Royal in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning royal; or from English place names · English, Latin, Old English
Say it ROY-ul /ˈrɔɪəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #476 boys, down 71 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 640boys
- Girls and boys
- 24% girls, 76% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021888 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,394babies recorded
What does the name Royal mean?
Royal is used as a word name meaning "kingly", from Old French and Latin regalis, from rex, "king". Wiktionary also notes a separate English surname from places such as Ryhill and Ryall, Old English ryge, "rye", and hyll, "hill", whose spelling was later reshaped to look like the word royal. As a first name it is usually chosen for the word.
rēgālis (Latin, “kingly”)ryge (Old English, “rye”)
How sure is this? Probable. The word name is clear; the surname has a separate place-name source.
Related names: Royce, Roy, Regal.
See also: English names, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Royal', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Royal', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Royal popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,663 | #476 | 125 | 640 |
| 2020 | #774 | #405 | 352 | 740 |
| 2010 | #7,160 | #1,226 | 18 | 145 |
| 2000 | #9,031 | #2,043 | 11 | 50 |
| 1990 | #8,368 | #1,378 | 10 | 66 |
| 1980 | #5,825 | #1,310 | 12 | 52 |
| 1970 | — | #938 | — | 73 |
| 1960 | — | #787 | — | 95 |
| 1950 | — | #661 | — | 112 |
| 1940 | — | #516 | — | 127 |
| 1930 | — | #472 | — | 158 |
| 1920 | — | #423 | — | 200 |
| 1910 | — | #406 | — | 44 |
| 1900 | — | #466 | — | 25 |
| 1890 | — | #315 | — | 31 |
| 1880 | — | #340 | — | 26 |
How popular is Royal, counting every spelling?
Royal is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #466 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #476 for Royal on its own. Together these spellings went to 663 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal | 640 | #476 | 3,948 |
| Royale | 23 | #4,511 | 219 |
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 Royal?
640 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Royal (0.18 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Royal 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 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Royal.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Royal?
About 13,200 people born in the US named Royal are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 30. That makes Royal 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.
Royal by state
How common Royal was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Georgia (3.0×), Nevada (2.3×), South Carolina (2.3×), Mississippi (2.2×), Louisiana (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Royal: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Royal, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Royal · Sibling names for Royal
Questions about the name Royal
What does Royal mean?
Royal means “royal; or from English place names” (English, Latin, Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Royal?
Royal was the 476th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 640 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 279th; the most babies were born in 2021 (888). Over the last ten years it has moved down 9 places. More babies were named Royal in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Royal a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 24% girls, 76% boys given the name Royal in the US.
Where is Royal most popular?
In 2021–2025, Royal was most common in Georgia (1.35 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and South Carolina.