Royal
Girl name · #1657 in 2025 · Uniqueness 86/100
In 2025, 125 baby girls were named Royal, placing it at #1657 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #740, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,400 girls born in 2025 was named Royal.
Babies named Royal per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 97-year story
Royal first appears in the Social Security records in 1928, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2016, when 477 girls were named Royal — good for #626 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Royal against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Royal in class?
Royal scores 86 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Royal will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Royal is most common
Geography matters for names, and Royal is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Royals were TX (11), FL (10), MI (10), GA (9), NY (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Royal
Statistically, parents drawn to Royal tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Layal, Rebel, Rowen, Rylynn, and Rilynn.
LayalRebelRowenRylynnRilynnRidleyMilahRyder
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Royal | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 125 | #1652 |
| 2024 | 194 | #1217 |
| 2023 | 259 | #987 |
| 2022 | 322 | #863 |
| 2021 | 329 | #837 |
| 2020 | 352 | #772 |
| 2019 | 351 | #789 |
| 2018 | 341 | #798 |
| 2017 | 418 | #693 |
| 2016 | 477 | #626 |
| 2015 | 380 | #740 |
| 2014 | 255 | #1023 |
| 2013 | 59 | #2870 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4486 |
| 2011 | 35 | #4151 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6904 |
| 2009 | 25 | #5537 |
| 2008 | 14 | #8529 |
| 2007 | 14 | #8520 |
| 2006 | 10 | #10611 |
| 2005 | 6 | #14502 |
| 2004 | 14 | #7828 |
| 2003 | 7 | #12408 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10246 |
| 2001 | 7 | #12056 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Royal a popular girl name?
Royal ranked #1657 among girls in 2025 with 125 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #740.
When was the name Royal most popular?
Royal peaked in 2016, when 477 American girls received the name (ranked #626 that year). Since 2016 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Royal?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,400 newborn American girls was named Royal. It scores 86/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify 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.