Royce
Royce was the 500th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 606 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 283rd; the most babies were born in 2021 (810). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Royce in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning from the medieval name Rose · English, Germanic
Say it ROYS /rɔɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #500 boys, down 94 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 606boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021810 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,662babies recorded
What does the name Royce mean?
Royce is an English surname formed from the medieval woman's name Rose, as Wiktionary notes. DMNES explains that medieval Rose came from Germanic hrōd, "fame", and heit, "kind", and was later reshaped by Latin rosa, "rose". Its modern use as a first name is helped by the Rolls-Royce car company, named for Henry Royce.
Rose (Middle English, “woman's name”)hrōd (Old Saxon, “fame”)
How sure is this? Probable. Royce from Rose is the dictionary view; the meaning of Rose itself shifted over time.
Related names: Rose, Royal, Roy.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Royce', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rose', DMNES, Durham University
Royce popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,508 since 1915, 20 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #500 | 606 |
| 2020 | #406 | 730 |
| 2010 | #743 | 306 |
| 2000 | #882 | 179 |
| 1990 | #703 | 211 |
| 1980 | #650 | 178 |
| 1970 | #555 | 213 |
| 1960 | #460 | 300 |
| 1950 | #376 | 325 |
| 1940 | #305 | 335 |
| 1930 | #324 | 289 |
| 1920 | #464 | 173 |
| 1910 | #1,033 | 11 |
| 1900 | #829 | 11 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Royce, counting every spelling?
Royce has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #498 for boys in 2025, against #500 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Royce?
606 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Royce (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Royce 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Royce.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Royce?
About 23,100 people born in the US named Royce are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 9 and 59. That makes Royce mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Royce by state
How common Royce was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.3×), Idaho (2.3×), Utah (1.9×), Iowa (1.7×), New Mexico (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, New York, Illinois.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Royce: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Royce, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Royce · Sibling names for Royce
Questions about the name Royce
What does Royce mean?
Royce means “from the medieval name Rose” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Royce?
Royce was the 500th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 606 babies. Its best year was 1935, when it ranked 283rd; the most babies were born in 2021 (810). Over the last ten years it has moved up 34 places. More babies were named Royce in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Royce a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Royce in the US.
Where is Royce most popular?
In 2021–2025, Royce was most common in Louisiana (0.96 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Wyoming.