Royal is an English word name and means "kingly" or "of the king", from the Old French roial and the Latin rex. It was used quietly as a first name in the 19th century, and Wes Anderson's film The Royal Tenenbaums gave it an eccentric charm; today it fits the trend for names like King and Legend. Royal entered the US top 1000 in 2013, peaked at number 369 in 2021 and ranks number 476 in 2025.