Explore the Family Name Royal
The meaning of Royal
1. English: habitational name from Royle in Burnley (Lancashire), so named from Old English rā ‘roe deer’ + hyll ‘hill’. The surname may have been confused with Rial. 2. Americanized form of German Reul or Reule. 3. Possibly also an Americanized form of Spanish and Portuguese Real.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Royal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Royal has shown a slight decline in popularity over a decade, dropping from rank 2264 in 2000 to rank 2319 in 2010, a change of -2.43%. Despite this, the total count of people with the Royal surname increased by 6.89%, from 14,739 to 15,755, between 2000 and 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also slightly decreased by -2.2% during the same time period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,264 | #2,319 | -2.43% |
| Count | 14,739 | 15,755 | 6.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.46 | 5.34 | -2.2% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Royal
The ethnicity associated with the surname Royal changed notably between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. While the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with this surname more than doubled, increasing from 0.37% to 0.82%, the percentage of White individuals with that name decreased from 55.46% to 51.84%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hispanics increased by 43.89%, and those identifying as Two or More Races saw an increase of 49.73%. Additionally, the count of Black individuals with the Royal surname showed a modest growth of 2.92%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives increased by 24.44%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.46% | 51.84% | -6.53% |
| Black | 39.67% | 40.83% | 2.92% |
| Hispanic | 2.21% | 3.18% | 43.89% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.77% | 49.73% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.82% | 121.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.56% | 24.44% |
Royal ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Royal is British & Irish, which comprises 50.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.7%) and Nigerian (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.6% |
| French & German | 17.7% |
| Nigerian | 6.4% |
| Other | 25.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Royal
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Royal have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 79.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.50% |
What Royal haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Royal is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z30 and R-L2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bowers, Kuhn, Goodman, Knight, Weber, Freeman, Ott, Weaver, Robinson, Dixon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Royal surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Royal have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Royal" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Royal" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Royal" Surname 26.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Royal" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Royal?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Royal are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition