Raul
A male given name from Spanish, an Anglicized form of Spanish Raúl.
Every Raul since 1904 — 88,524 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Raul
Raul is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #634 in 2025 with 440 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1904, 88,524 American babies have been named Raul. Its peak came in 1995, when 1,521 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Raul stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Raul year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 440 | #634 |
| 2024 | — | — | 466 | #612 |
| 2023 | — | — | 477 | #595 |
| 2022 | — | — | 539 | #554 |
| 2021 | — | — | 455 | #612 |
| 2020 | — | — | 505 | #557 |
| 2019 | — | — | 552 | #519 |
| 2018 | — | — | 551 | #514 |
| 2017 | — | — | 556 | #520 |
| 2016 | — | — | 652 | #468 |
| 2015 | — | — | 693 | #443 |
| 2014 | — | — | 727 | #422 |
| 2013 | — | — | 722 | #409 |
| 2012 | — | — | 722 | #404 |
| 2011 | — | — | 835 | #360 |
| 2010 | — | — | 926 | #340 |
| 2009 | — | — | 1,015 | #315 |
| 2008 | 5 | #19,798 | 1,180 | #288 |
| 2007 | — | — | 1,387 | #255 |
| 2006 | — | — | 1,355 | #255 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,752 | 1,332 | #248 |
| 2004 | 5 | #18,175 | 1,381 | #242 |
| 2003 | 6 | #15,320 | 1,401 | #238 |
| 2002 | — | — | 1,407 | #240 |
| 2001 | — | — | 1,439 | #235 |
| 2000 | — | — | 1,519 | #223 |
| 1995 | 9 | #9,364 | 1,512 | #201 |
| 1990 | 14 | #6,379 | 1,461 | #209 |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,343 | 1,108 | #218 |
| 1980 | 12 | #5,813 | 1,288 | #190 |
| 1975 | 11 | #5,414 | 1,038 | #208 |
| 1970 | 12 | #4,696 | 1,038 | #227 |
| 1965 | 10 | #4,436 | 793 | #263 |
| 1960 | 5 | #7,090 | 905 | #264 |
| 1955 | 12 | #3,530 | 798 | #249 |
| 1950 | 5 | #5,926 | 646 | #255 |
| 1945 | — | — | 487 | #268 |
| 1940 | — | — | 304 | #325 |
| 1935 | — | — | 324 | #303 |
| 1930 | 5 | #5,110 | 408 | #281 |
| 1925 | — | — | 282 | #349 |
| 1920 | — | — | 179 | #455 |
| 1915 | — | — | 88 | #615 |
| 1910 | — | — | 16 | #776 |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Raul
- Raul Julia Actor · 1940–1994
- Raul Hilberg Writer · 1926–2007
- Raul Khajimba Politician · b. 1958
- Raul Meireles Soccer player · b. 1983
- Raul Boesel Racing driver · b. 1957
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Raul mean?
A male given name from Spanish, an Anglicized form of Spanish Raúl.
How popular is the name Raul in 2025?
Raul ranked #634 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 440 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Raul?
88,524 babies have been named Raul in the United States since 1904, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Raul most popular?
Raul peaked in 1995, when 1,521 newborns received the name.
Is Raul a boy or girl name?
Raul is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Raul rising or falling?
Raul is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Raul?
Well-known people named Raul include Raul Julia (actor), Raul Hilberg (writer), Raul Khajimba (politician).