Royal
A habitational surname, shaped by folk etymology, from places in England, Riehale, Righale, Ryhill and Ryall, Old English ryge (“rye”) + hyll (“hill”), and Royle, rā…
Every Royal since 1880 — 24,394 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Royal
Royal is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #476 in 2025 with 640 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 24,394 American babies have been named Royal — about 82% boys and 18% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2021, when 1,217 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
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 Royal stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Royal 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 | 125 | #1,663 | 640 | #476 |
| 2024 | 194 | #1,219 | 745 | #424 |
| 2023 | 259 | #988 | 795 | #401 |
| 2022 | 322 | #864 | 880 | #369 |
| 2021 | 329 | #840 | 888 | #369 |
| 2020 | 352 | #774 | 740 | #405 |
| 2019 | 351 | #790 | 653 | #459 |
| 2018 | 341 | #800 | 610 | #482 |
| 2017 | 418 | #697 | 577 | #504 |
| 2016 | 477 | #629 | 662 | #461 |
| 2015 | 380 | #742 | 648 | #467 |
| 2014 | 255 | #1,024 | 489 | #570 |
| 2013 | 59 | #2,896 | 235 | #888 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4,581 | 194 | #1,016 |
| 2011 | 35 | #4,227 | 148 | #1,196 |
| 2010 | 18 | #7,160 | 145 | #1,226 |
| 2009 | 25 | #5,678 | 122 | #1,402 |
| 2008 | 14 | #8,877 | 110 | #1,491 |
| 2007 | 14 | #8,915 | 115 | #1,420 |
| 2006 | 10 | #11,253 | 75 | #1,837 |
| 2005 | 6 | #16,042 | 68 | #1,883 |
| 2004 | 14 | #8,146 | 61 | #1,986 |
| 2003 | 7 | #13,534 | 53 | #2,120 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,916 | 53 | #2,062 |
| 2001 | 7 | #13,191 | 57 | #1,930 |
| 2000 | 11 | #9,031 | 50 | #2,043 |
| 1995 | 7 | #11,500 | 42 | #2,018 |
| 1990 | 10 | #8,368 | 66 | #1,378 |
| 1985 | 5 | #12,043 | 52 | #1,349 |
| 1980 | 12 | #5,825 | 52 | #1,310 |
| 1975 | — | — | 46 | #1,274 |
| 1970 | — | — | 73 | #938 |
| 1965 | 5 | #7,314 | 78 | #835 |
| 1960 | — | — | 95 | #787 |
| 1955 | 6 | #5,711 | 104 | #719 |
| 1950 | — | — | 112 | #661 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,455 | 144 | #499 |
| 1940 | — | — | 127 | #516 |
| 1935 | — | — | 123 | #521 |
| 1930 | — | — | 158 | #472 |
| 1925 | — | — | 200 | #424 |
| 1920 | — | — | 200 | #423 |
| 1915 | — | — | 157 | #433 |
| 1910 | — | — | 44 | #406 |
| 1905 | — | — | 30 | #389 |
| 1900 | — | — | 25 | #466 |
| 1895 | — | — | 32 | #328 |
| 1890 | — | — | 31 | #315 |
| 1885 | — | — | 28 | #324 |
| 1880 | — | — | 26 | #340 |
Famous people named Royal
- Royal Harwood Frost Astronomer · 1879–1950
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Royal mean?
A habitational surname, shaped by folk etymology, from places in England, Riehale, Righale, Ryhill and Ryall, Old English ryge (“rye”) + hyll (“hill”), and Royle, rā (“roe”) + hyll (“hill”).
How popular is the name Royal in 2025?
Royal ranked #476 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 640 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Royal?
24,394 babies have been named Royal in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Royal most popular?
Royal peaked in 2021, when 1,217 newborns received the name.
Is Royal a boy or girl name?
Royal is used for both: about 18% of babies named Royal have been girls and 82% boys.
Is the name Royal rising or falling?
Royal is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Royal?
Well-known people named Royal include Royal Harwood Frost (astronomer).