Royal

Meaning: Rye hill or roe hill
Origin: English (from Old English) — English habitational surname

Boy's name · #476 in the US (2025) · Comeback

76% boys · 24% girls — Royal is also given to girls: 125 in 2025, about 24% in recent years. Royal →

Popularity over time

Royal was #279 in 1889, slipped to #2120 by 2003, and has climbed back to #476 today. Roughly 20,000 boys have been named Royal since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Royal is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 38 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Royal ranks in other countries and regions.

#2,107 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,221 in Canada (2024).

Famous Royals

Royal Rife — American inventor (1888–1971)
Royal Dano — American actor (1922–1994)
Royal Harwood Frost — American astronomer (1879–1950)
Royal Robbins — American rock climber (1935–2017)
Royal Ivey — American basketball player

In stories & tradition

Royal Roy — character
Royal Ripper — One-Punch Man

What Royals become

Among 119 notable people named Royal:

Military figures appear 4.74× more often than among typical names — e.g. Royal E. Ingersoll, American military officer (1883–1976).

Similar names: Major · Royce · Archie · Harlan · Clark · Marshall

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service