Royal

Royal is a word-name that doesn't hedge, straight from the Old French roial, descended from the Latin regalis. For most of the 20th century it felt too bold for a child; the 21st has changed its mind. Royal now sits near 427 in the U.S., climbing for both boys and girls, part of a small family of aspirational word-names like Legend, Reign, and Saint. Two syllables, a soft roll at the front, a bright L at the end. The name carries swagger without cruelty, confidence worn as a birthright. It belongs to a generation unafraid to aim high on the first page of the calendar.