Royal
An English word name from the adjective, which came through Old French roial from Latin regalis, kingly. It also exists as an English surname.
Royal in 2025
Royal was given to 765 babies in the United States in 2025 — 640 boys and 125 girls, making it the 843rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,334 babies born.
The history of Royal
Royal reached its highest point in 2021, when 1,217 babies were given the name, ranking 552nd that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 24,394 babies have been named Royal. Half of them were born before 2013, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Royal by decade
| Decade | Babies named Royal | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 274 | 647 |
| 1890s | 299 | 691 |
| 1900s | 312 | 908 |
| 1910s | 1,338 | 834 |
| 1920s | 2,043 | 818 |
| 1930s | 1,377 | 942 |
| 1940s | 1,313 | 1,062 |
| 1950s | 1,086 | 1,338 |
| 1960s | 740 | 1,853 |
| 1970s | 594 | 2,294 |
| 1980s | 553 | 2,723 |
| 1990s | 588 | 3,065 |
| 2000s | 881 | 2,750 |
| 2010s | 6,727 | 593 |
| 2020s | 6,269 | 552 |
Where Royal is heading
Royal has fallen 26% over the past decade, from 1,028 babies in 2015 to 765 in 2025.
Names like Royal
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Royal.