Raul

Raul - A very unique male name

Raul appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #511. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Raul and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Raul? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Raul. The baby boy name Raul was given to 385 baby boys in 2025, ranking #649 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,809 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Raul peaked in popularity 45 years ago in 1981 on position 192.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Raul, 1-5?

Raul is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Raul is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #277 - and is the least popular in North Carolina at position #1,114.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Raul is where you live.

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Raul origin and meaning

Spanish form of Ralph, Germanic

Spanish form of Ralph, from Germanic Radulf: rad 'counsel' + wulf 'wolf'

Raúl is the Spanish form of the old Germanic name Ralph, carried through Spain and Latin America. It has been in the US data since 1910, peaked in 2000, and has been falling since 2020.

Attested etymology

Raul is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Raul, pop culture references for the name Raul and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Raul

We've found the following names that sound similar to Raul, sorted by popularity.

Riley / Royal / Roel / Rylee / Reilly / Rahul / Ryley / Raoul / Rollie / Rylo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Raul

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Raul a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Raul?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

rah-OOL · /rɑːˈuːl/
Spanish Raúl has two syllables (rah-OOL); the data lists one syllable, reflecting the common anglicised one-syllable 'rowl'.

Around the world

• Raoul (French) — The French form of the same Germanic name
• Raul (Portuguese) — Used as-is, without the Spanish accent

Famous bearers

• Raúl Castro — Cuban statesman, brother and successor of Fidel Castro (b. 1931) Contemporary
• Raúl Juliá — Puerto Rican actor, known for The Addams Family films (1940–1994) Historical
• Raúl González — Spanish footballer, universally known by his first name Raúl (b. 1977) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

Raul is chosen mainly in Spanish-speaking families as a strong, straightforward heritage name that also reads easily in English.

Worth knowing

• English speakers often compress it to one syllable, 'rowl'
• The Spanish accent in Raúl is usually dropped in US records