Total births
20,072
Unisex name · since 1880
Royal
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 20,072 babies named Royal, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #424
- among boys today
- 20,072
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
20,072 babies have been named Royal since 1880, making it today's #424 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Royal recorded 20,072 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #424 nationally today, ahead of 97% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #424 among boys today
- 20,072 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Royal is currently the #424 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 20,072 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #424
- among boys today
- 20,072
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Royal vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#424
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Royal was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
888 babies were named Royal in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Royal compares
20,072 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Royal's all-time total is 55x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Royal | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,072 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 888 | 23 | 22,252 |
Royal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Royal splits its recorded history at 1953: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1886 (19 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 888 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Royal at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#424
Active since
1880
Royal popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 888
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Royal popularity over time - girls
4,322 total births recorded since 1928 (Royal as girls' name)
Royal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Royal's strongest decade.
4,688 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Royal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 274
1880s
274 births
- 1890s 299
1890s
299 births
- 1900s 312
1900s
312 births
- 1910s 1,338
1910s
1,338 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,030 births
- 1930s 1,355
1930s
1,355 births
- 1940s 1,289
1940s
1,289 births
- 1950s 1,068
1950s
1,068 births
- 1960s 735
1960s
735 births
- 1970s 561
1970s
561 births
- 1980s 496
1980s
496 births
- 1990s 502
1990s
502 births
- 2000s 764
2000s
764 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,361 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,688 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 4,688 births (23% of all-time use).
How Royal 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 Royal's total volume
Royal vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Royal by state
Where Royal concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,396 | 7.0% |
| #2 | California | | 1,356 | 6.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,140 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 779 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 720 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 684 | 3.4% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 561 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 559 | 2.8% |
Texas share of Royal's total US births 7.0%
Even split
1,396 of 20,072 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Royal appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Royal? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 20,072 babies named Royal. Today it holds rank #424 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2021, with 888 births.
When was Royal most popular? ▼
Royal was most popular in the 2020s decade with 4,688 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Royal most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Royal are Texas (1,396 births), California (1,356 births), New York (1,140 births).
Is Royal a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Royal is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 20,072 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,322 births.
How long has the name Royal been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Royal since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Royal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Roy, Royce, Royden, Royale, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Royal's data
- Texas records the most Royals (1,396 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 Royal
Nearby Names Like Royal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Royal
Roy Boy
#541 408,638 births
Royce Boy
#461 33,154 births
Royden Boy
#12401 879 births
Royale Boy
#3191 678 births
Royalty Boy
#3443 526 births
Compare Royal side by side: Royal vs Roy Royal vs Royce Royal vs Royden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Royal
Reed #423
36,056 births · Peak 2014
Hank #425
16,984 births · Peak 2025
Frederick #422
266,060 births · Peak 1951
Nehemiah #426
21,804 births · Peak 2010
Jake #421
129,322 births · Peak 2004
Armani #427
15,410 births · Peak 2021
Raphael #420
24,258 births · Peak 2025
Malik #428
49,607 births · Peak 1996
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. "Royal: #424 Unisex Name - 20,072 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/royal. 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 Royal 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.