Total births
1,685
Boys' name · since 1985
Ryu
1,685 babies named Ryu in U.S. Social Security records since 1985, with the highest year being 2012. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1437
- among boys today
- 1,685
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Ryu currently ranks #1437 among boys' names in America, with 1,685 babies recorded since 1985.
Social Security Administration records show Ryu recorded 1,685 times among boys since 1985, holding rank #1437 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1985 to 2025.
- #1437 among boys today
- 1,685 born since 1985
- 2010s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ryu is currently the #1437 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 1,685 born since 1985, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1437
- among boys today
- 1,685
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Ryu vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1437
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Ryu was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
130 babies were named Ryu in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Ryu compares
1,685 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Ryu's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ryu | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,685 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 130 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ryu's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ryu splits its recorded history at 2009: 76% of all births land in the more recent half, 24% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1985 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2012 peak of 130 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ryu at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2012
Current rank
#1,437
Active since
1985
Ryu popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1985–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 130
- Annual births at peak, across 41 years of records
Ryu popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 2022 (Ryu as girls' name)
Ryu by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ryu's strongest decade.
741 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Ryu births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 12
1980s
12 births
- 1990s 77
1990s
77 births
- 2000s
2000s
372 births
- 2010s
2010s
741 births
- 2020s
2020s
483 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 741 births (44% of all-time use).
How Ryu 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 Ryu's total volume
Ryu vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ryu by state
Where Ryu concentrates geographically, total births since 1985
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 404 | 24.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 154 | 9.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 38 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 19 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Washington | | 19 | 1.1% |
| #6 | New York | | 15 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 13 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 12 | 0.7% |
California share of Ryu's total US births 24.0%
Even split
404 of 1,685 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Ryu appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ryu? ▼
1,685 babies have been named Ryu since 1985. It currently ranks #1437 among boys. The peak year was 2012 with 130 births.
When was Ryu most popular? ▼
Ryu was most popular in the 2010s decade with 741 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Ryu most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ryu are California (404 births), Texas (154 births), Florida (38 births).
How long has the name Ryu been used? ▼
Ryu has been recorded in Social Security data since 1985, spanning 41 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ryu? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ryun, Ryuu, Ryuji, Ryusei, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ryu's data
- Ryu's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (741 total births) through the 2020s (483) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ryus (404 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Ryu
Nearby Names Like Ryu
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ryu
Ryun Boy
182 births
Ryuu Boy
52 births
Ryuji Boy
#7622 29 births
Ryusei Boy
28 births
Ryunosuke Boy
22 births
Compare Ryu side by side: Ryu vs Ryun Ryu vs Ryuu Ryu vs Ryuji
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ryu
Tristen #1436
21,372 births · Peak 1996
Vince #1438
12,705 births · Peak 1963
Deshawn #1435
16,074 births · Peak 1997
Mauro #1439
6,644 births · Peak 2006
Shaya #1434
1,809 births · Peak 2025
Faris #1440
3,225 births · Peak 2025
Gilberto #1433
28,642 births · Peak 1993
Efrain #1441
18,557 births · Peak 1993
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, 1985–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ryu: #1437 Boys' Name - 1,685 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ryu. 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 Ryu 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.