Ryu is a Japanese name and word that means "dragon", a creature of wisdom and good fortune in East Asian tradition; it is also a Korean family name. American parents often know it from the martial artist Ryu in the Street Fighter video games. In the United States Ryu stood at number 2667 in 2000, reached number 1320 in 2012 and number 1435 in 2024, and ranks number 2352 among boys' names in 2025.