Royal

“Rye hill or roe hill, an English habitational surname” — Old English origin

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

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. About 76% of babies named Royal in recent years have been boys.

Around the world: about 1 in 7,900 boys in Canada (2024).

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

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 Crier’s Assistant — Cinderella
Royal Tailor — Descendants

What Royals become

Among 120 notable people named Royal:

Military figures appear 4.7× more often than among typical names — e.g. Royal E. Ingersoll, United States admiral.

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

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

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service