Ryu
Boy · RYOO · Japanese
Ryu is a boys' name of Japanese origin, meaning “dragon”. In 2025 it ranked 2,742nd for boys in the UK (8 babies) and 2,332nd for boys in the US (59 babies).
What does Ryu mean?
Japanese: usually written with the kanji for dragon
“dragon”
Ryu is the main character of the Street Fighter video game series.
- Say it
- RYOO
Is Ryu a girl's or a boy's name?
Ryu is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 8 boys in the UK and 59 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ryu in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,742among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8about 1 in 37,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 76% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8 boys in the UK were named Ryu, making it the 2,742nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,502nd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 15 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ryu in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,658th in England and Wales.
Ryu in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #2,742 |
| 2024 | 15 | #1,745 |
| 2023 | 7 | #2,965 |
| 2022 | 9 | #2,457 |
| 2021 | 6 | #3,179 |
| 2020 | 5 | #3,502 |
| 2019 | 8 | #2,633 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,169 |
| 2017 | 8 | #2,656 |
| 2016 | 7 | #2,947 |
| 2015 | 8 | #2,614 |
| 2014 | 3 | #4,829 |
| 2013 | 4 | #4,008 |
| 2012 | 8 | #2,595 |
| 2011 | 3 | #4,837 |
| 2010 | 6 | #3,092 |
| 2009 | 5 | #3,395 |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 4 | #2,714 |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
How popular is Ryu in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,332among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 59about 1 in 29,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 35% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 59 boys in the US were named Ryu, making it the 2,332nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,977th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 130 boys. It first appears in the records in 1985.
2025 had fewer boys named Ryu than any year since 2018.
Half of all the boys named Ryu in the US since 1880 were born between 2009 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ryu in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #2,332 |
| 2024 | 127 | #1,432 |
| 2023 | 75 | #2,013 |
| 2022 | 73 | #2,059 |
| 2021 | 77 | #1,942 |
| 2020 | 72 | #1,977 |
| 2019 | 68 | #2,109 |
| 2018 | 54 | #2,416 |
| 2017 | 76 | #1,897 |
| 2016 | 72 | #1,991 |
| 2015 | 56 | #2,327 |
| 2014 | 73 | #1,958 |
| 2013 | 76 | #1,865 |
| 2012 | 130 | #1,314 |
| 2011 | 73 | #1,904 |
| 2010 | 63 | #2,117 |
| 2009 | 61 | #2,182 |
| 2008 | 53 | #2,404 |
| 2007 | 53 | #2,416 |
| 2006 | 43 | #2,697 |
| 2005 | 32 | #3,168 |
| 2004 | 26 | #3,530 |
| 2003 | 27 | #3,361 |
| 2002 | 23 | #3,665 |
| 2001 | 19 | #4,115 |
| 2000 | 35 | #2,616 |
| 1999 | 20 | #3,699 |
| 1998 | 13 | #4,868 |
| 1997 | 15 | #4,241 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 9 | #5,922 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 10 | #5,353 |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 7 | #5,745 |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
Names like Ryu
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Yug Minh Kairo Loki Shko Rumi Tai Yoan Yusuf Yitzchok Ruairi Kenzo
Names related to Ryu
More Japanese names
Kobe Kaizen Raiden Ren Akari Ronin Kyomi Akira Yuna Emi Kiyomi Kairi Miya Kenji Reo Jiraiya