2000
#2,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,739
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.46
Uncommon Last name
Royal
A status surname referring to someone who worked in service to a monarch or royal household.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,423 Americans carry the last name Royal. That puts it at #2,337 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Royal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Royal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 19,673
Census rank
#2,337
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,194 bearers of the surname Royal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2337th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Royal, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Royal
The surname Royal originates from England and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "royal," meaning "kingly" or "regal." This surname was likely given to someone who had a connection to royalty, such as a servant or a member of the royal household.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Royal can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, a John le Royal is listed as residing in Oxfordshire.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the records of the Exchequer Court of Pleas in 1370, where a William Royal is mentioned as being involved in a legal dispute.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Royal was also associated with various place names throughout England. For example, there are records of individuals named Royal from locations such as Royal Oak in Shropshire and Royal Wootton in Warwickshire.
One notable bearer of the surname Royal was Sir Nathaniel Royal, who was born in 1584 and served as a Member of Parliament for Newtown, Isle of Wight, during the reign of King James I. He was also a member of the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown.
Another prominent figure with the surname Royal was Sir Joseph Royal, who was born in 1688 and served as a naval officer during the War of the Spanish Succession. He played a crucial role in the capture of the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de la Covadonga in 1708.
In the 18th century, the surname Royal was also associated with the British aristocracy. For instance, there was a titled family known as the Royals of Somerby, who owned lands in Leicestershire.
Other notable individuals with the surname Royal include:
1. John Royal (c. 1590-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote a influential work on church government.
2. William Royal (1786-1857), a British artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Mary Royal (1819-1891), an English philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for the rights of women and children.
4. Sir Edmund Royal (1847-1924), a British military officer who served in the Boer War and World War I.
5. Constance Royal (1899-1981), an American poet and novelist who was part of the Harlem Renaissance literary movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Royal
Among Census respondents with the surname Royal, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Royal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Royal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.7% · 7,555
- Black or African American40.4% · 6,143
- Two or more races4.7% · 718
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 599
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 62
Timeline
Historical Census data for Royal
Royal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,755
+1,016 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 5.34
Rank movement Down 55 places
2020
#2,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,194
-561 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 5.08
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,264 | 14,739 | 5.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,319 | 15,755 | 5.34 | +1,016 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 55 places |
| 2020 | #2,337 | 15,194 | 5.08 | -561 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 18 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Royal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,319 | #2,337 | -0.8% |
| Count | 15,755 | 15,194 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 5.34 | 5.08 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Royal bearers went from 15,755 to 15,194 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,319 to #2,337.
FAQ
Royal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Royal?
Name Census estimates that about 17,423 living Americans carry the surname Royal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,673 residents.
How common is Royal?
Royal ranks #2,337 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,194 people with the surname Royal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,423), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Royal.
Has Royal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Royal went from 15,755 recorded bearers to 15,194. That is a decrease of 561 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,319 to #2,337.
What does the Census say about the background of Royal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Royal, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Royal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.7% (7,555 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Royal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.7%), Black (40.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Royal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Royal mean?
A status surname referring to someone who worked in service to a monarch or royal household. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Royal (5.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Royal?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Royal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.