Total births
408,638
Boys' name · since 1880
Roy
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 408,638 babies named Roy, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #541
- among boys today
- 408,638
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Roy currently ranks #541 among boys' names in America, with 408,638 babies recorded since 1880.
Roy has 408,638 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #541 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of boys, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #541 among boys today
- 408,638 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Roy is currently the #541 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 408,638 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #541
- among boys today
- 408,638
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Roy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#541
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Roy was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
7,560 babies were named Roy in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Roy compares
408,638 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Roy's all-time total is 1,113x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Roy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 408,638 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 7,560 | 23 | 22,252 |
Roy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Roy's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 35% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 65%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 440 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 7,560, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Roy at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#541
Active since
1880
Roy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 7,560
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Roy popularity over time - girls
2,693 total births recorded since 1885 (Roy as girls' name)
Roy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Roy's strongest decade.
65,648 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Roy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6,565
1880s
6,565 births
- 1890s 9,779
1890s
9,779 births
- 1900s 10,632
1900s
10,632 births
- 1910s
1910s
40,340 births
- 1920s
1920s
63,259 births
- 1930s
1930s
51,495 births
- 1940s
1940s
65,648 births
- 1950s
1950s
61,847 births
- 1960s
1960s
40,047 births
- 1970s 22,353
1970s
22,353 births
- 1980s 14,308
1980s
14,308 births
- 1990s 8,601
1990s
8,601 births
- 2000s 5,581
2000s
5,581 births
- 2010s 5,017
2010s
5,017 births
- 2020s 3,166
2020s
3,166 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 65,648 births (16% of all-time use).
How Roy compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Roy's total volume
Roy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Roy by state
Where Roy concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 36,597 | 9.0% |
| #2 | California | | 22,642 | 5.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 17,526 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 17,044 | 4.2% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 15,985 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 15,667 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 15,278 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 15,072 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Roy's total US births 9.0%
Even split
36,597 of 408,638 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Roy appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Roy? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 408,638 babies named Roy. Today it holds rank #541 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 7,560 births.
When was Roy most popular? ▼
Roy was most popular in the 1940s decade with 65,648 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Roy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Roy are Texas (36,597 births), California (22,642 births), New York (17,526 births).
How long has the name Roy been used? ▼
Roy has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Roy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Royce, Royal, Royden, Royale, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Roy's data
- Roy's decade-level peak was the 1940s (65,648 total births); usage has since declined to 3,166 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Roys (36,597 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Roy
Nearby Names Like Roy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Roy
Royce Boy
#461 33,154 births
Royal Boy
#424 20,072 births
Royden Boy
#12401 879 births
Royale Boy
#3191 678 births
Royalty Boy
#3443 526 births
Compare Roy side by side: Roy vs Royce Roy vs Royal Roy vs Royden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Roy
Dorian #540
24,187 births · Peak 2008
Drew #542
78,592 births · Peak 1985
Gregory #539
711,893 births · Peak 1962
Leland #543
57,999 births · Peak 2007
Pierce #538
20,245 births · Peak 2015
Clay #544
40,252 births · Peak 1960
Johan #537
14,653 births · Peak 2016
Enrique #545
61,234 births · Peak 2000
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Roy: #541 Boys' Name - 408,638 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/roy. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Roy draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.