Rumeal
Of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly from a Turkish word meaning "roaming" or "wandering".
Name Census estimates that about 71 living Americans carry the first name Rumeal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rumeal today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rumeal births was 1989 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rumeal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rumeal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
71
~ 1 in 4,827,526 Americans
Peak year
1989
25 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1993 SSA rank
#7,459
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Rumeal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rumeal from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 48 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rumeal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rumeal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rumeal
The name Rumeal has its origins in the ancient Semitic language of Aramaic, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BC. The name is derived from the Aramaic root word 'rm'l', which means 'to be exalted' or 'to be elevated'. It is believed that the name was initially used to convey a sense of reverence and respect for those who bore it.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Rumeal can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of ancient Jewish texts dating back to the third century BC. The name appears several times in these scrolls, suggesting that it was in use among certain Jewish communities during that period.
In the following centuries, the name Rumeal continued to be used sporadically in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa. However, it is difficult to find detailed records of individuals bearing this name during the early medieval period.
It wasn't until the 12th century that the name gained more prominence, particularly among Arab scholars and intellectuals. One notable figure was Rumeal ibn Abi al-Hasan, a renowned philosopher and mathematician from Seville, Spain, who lived from 1106 to 1184. His works on astronomy and mathematics were widely studied and influential during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another significant individual with the name Rumeal was Rumeal al-Dimashqi, a Syrian historian and geographer who lived in the 13th century. His book, 'Nukhbat al-Dahr fi Ajaib al-Barr wa al-Bahr' (The Cream of the Era on the Wonders of the Land and Sea), was a comprehensive work that covered various aspects of the natural world, as well as the history and cultures of different regions.
In the 15th century, Rumeal al-Qahiri, an Egyptian scholar and poet, gained recognition for his literary works, particularly his poetry collection 'Diwan Rumeal al-Qahiri'. His poems often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, and he was celebrated for his mastery of the Arabic language.
Moving into the 16th century, Rumeal ibn Muhammed al-Baghdadi was a prominent physician and writer from Baghdad. His medical treatises were widely studied and referenced by practitioners of traditional Islamic medicine.
While the name Rumeal has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by a handful of notable figures, particularly in the fields of scholarship, literature, and science. The name's Aramaic roots and its associations with reverence and elevation have likely contributed to its enduring significance in certain cultural and linguistic contexts.
People
Rumeal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rumeal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rumeal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rumeal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 71 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rumeal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,827,526 US residents.
Is Rumeal a common name?
We classify Rumeal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 73 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rumeal most popular?
The single biggest year for Rumeal was 1989, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rumeal is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rumeal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rumeal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rumeal in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Rumeal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rumeal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rumeal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Rumeal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.