unisex name
Royal
ROY-ul
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 24,809
the United States
#476
2025 births
Royal is a unisex name taken from the English word, from the Latin regalis — of a king. It is a status word rather than an inherited name, and it has been in American use since the nineteenth century.
- Royal is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 1,217 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,334 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Royal over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 274 |
| 1890s | 299 |
| 1900s | 312 |
| 1910s | 1,338 |
| 1920s | 2,043 |
| 1930s | 1,377 |
| 1940s | 1,313 |
| 1950s | 1,086 |
| 1960s | 740 |
| 1970s | 594 |
| 1980s | 553 |
| 1990s | 588 |
| 2000s | 881 |
| 2010s | 6,727 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,269 |
What Royal means
Royal means of or belonging to a king, from the Latin rex. Families choosing it are reaching for the standing rather than any older personal name.
Where Royal comes from
Royal comes through Old French roial from the Latin regalis, from rex, a king — the same root as regal, which entered English separately and directly from Latin, so English has the word twice at different levels of formality. As a surname it was a nickname for someone of regal bearing or who worked in a royal household. Its use as a given name is American and old enough to be a genuine tradition rather than a recent fashion: it appears in our records in every year from 1880, long before the current wave of status names like Legend and Messiah.
Royal in use
Royal appears in our records from 1880 and peaked in 2021.
How popular is Royal?
In 2025, Royal was given to 765 babies in the United States, ranking #476 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Royal is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Royal
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Royal also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Royal over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Royal
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Royal in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Royale
Sibling names for Royal
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Royal — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Royal
What does the name Royal mean?
Of a king, from the Latin regalis by way of Old French.
Is Royal a new name?
No. It appears in the American birth records in every year from 1880, well before the current fashion for status names.
Is Royal a boy's or a girl's name?
Both, though it is given more often to boys.
How popular is the name Royal?
In 2025, Royal was given to 765 babies in the United States, ranking #476 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Royal?
Royal has 2 syllables.
When was Royal most popular?
Royal peaked in 2021, when 1,217 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Royal?
Royal is usually shortened to Roy.
Is Royal a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Royal currently ranks #476 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.