Real
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ray-AL
- Origin
- French
Real is a boys' name of French origin, meaning “royal”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Real mean?
French: Quebec French Réal, from the word for royal
“royal”
Réal is a Quebec French boys' name meaning royal, related to Spanish real and English regal.
Is Real a girl's or a boy's name?
Real is a boys' name.
How popular is Real in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1926, with 13 boys. It first appears in the records in 1918.
Half of all the boys named Real in the US since 1880 were born between 1930 and 1970, the years shaded on the chart below.
Real in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | #9,888 |
| 2023 | 10 | #7,733 |
| 2022 | 10 | #7,762 |
| 2021 | 9 | #8,161 |
| 2020 | 9 | #8,062 |
| 2019 | 7 | #9,750 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 6 | #10,638 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 7 | #9,703 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 6 | #9,574 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 5 | #10,548 |
| 2000 | 8 | #7,409 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 5 | #6,054 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 7 | #3,834 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 5 | #3,928 |
| 1964 | 10 | #2,664 |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 6 | #3,663 |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 8 | #2,962 |
| 1954 | 5 | #3,825 |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 7 | #3,092 |
| 1951 | 6 | #3,362 |
| 1950 | 7 | #3,020 |
| 1949 | 12 | #2,224 |
| 1948 | 6 | #3,315 |
| 1947 | 8 | #2,861 |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 5 | #3,337 |
| 1944 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 13 | #1,997 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 8 | #2,609 |
| 1938 | 8 | #2,646 |
| 1937 | 7 | #2,905 |
| 1936 | 12 | #2,062 |
| 1935 | 8 | #2,719 |
| 1934 | 11 | #2,266 |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 10 | #2,470 |
| 1930 | 11 | #2,443 |
| 1929 | 7 | #3,245 |
| 1928 | 12 | #2,387 |
| 1927 | 10 | #2,702 |
| 1926 | 13 | #2,302 |
| 1925 | 11 | #2,586 |
| 1924 | 11 | #2,641 |
| 1923 | 5 | #4,236 |
| 1922 | 6 | #3,870 |
| 1921 | 9 | #2,985 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 9 | #2,881 |
Names like Real
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Royal, Conrad, Roy, Russell, Henry, Roland, Warren, Leon, Marshall, Harvey, Harlan, Raymond
Names related to Real
More French names
Eleanor, Beau, Esme, Darcie, Darcy, Genevieve, Amy, Esmae, Arleth, Elle, Monty, Mallory, Percy, Lacey, Belle, Quincy
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Real: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/real, updated 20 October 2026.