Loyal
Boy name · #981 in 2025 · Rare
Loyal ranks #981 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 233 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2019, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,725 boys born in 2025 was named Loyal.
The 143-year story
Loyal first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 377 babies and a rank of #700. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Loyal per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Loyal against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Loyal in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Loyal is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Loyal will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Loyal is most common
Geography matters for names, and Loyal is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Loyal is most common in GA (0.5 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.2 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Loyal is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Loyal
Statistically, parents drawn to Loyal tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Royal, Legacy, Mael, Lux, and Ivaan.
RoyalLegacyMaelLuxIvaanKrossLenoxAzrael
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Loyal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 233 | #980 |
| 2024 | 275 | #877 |
| 2023 | 356 | #738 |
| 2022 | 377 | #700 |
| 2021 | 336 | #754 |
| 2020 | 190 | #1053 |
| 2019 | 106 | #1574 |
| 2018 | 71 | #2029 |
| 2017 | 72 | #1977 |
| 2016 | 57 | #2305 |
| 2015 | 71 | #2019 |
| 2014 | 62 | #2175 |
| 2013 | 44 | #2668 |
| 2012 | 43 | #2772 |
| 2011 | 37 | #3046 |
| 2010 | 21 | #4517 |
| 2009 | 28 | #3721 |
| 2008 | 21 | #4540 |
| 2007 | 22 | #4375 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4865 |
| 2005 | 17 | #4824 |
| 2004 | 14 | #5492 |
| 2003 | 6 | #9581 |
| 2002 | 7 | #8456 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6013 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Loyal a popular boy name?
Loyal ranked #981 among boys in 2025 with 233 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2019.
When was the name Loyal most popular?
Loyal peaked in 2022, when 377 American boys received the name (ranked #700 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Loyal?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,725 newborn American boys was named Loyal. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.