Radu
Radu is a masculine Romanian given name of Slavic etymological origin, derived from the Old Church Slavonic root rad-. Radu became widespread among the (non-Slavic) Romanians because of Radu Negru's status as legendary founder of Wallachia, a historical Romanian state. Many Wallachian and some Moldavian voivodes or princes have been named Radu.
Meaning & Origin of Radu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Radu is a masculine Romanian given name of Slavic etymological origin, derived from the Old Church Slavonic root rad-. Radu became widespread among the (non-Slavic) Romanians because of Radu Negru's status as legendary founder of Wallachia, a historical Romanian state. Many Wallachian and some Moldavian voivodes or princes have been named Radu.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Radu
Radu first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1976, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1976, when 5 Radus were born — ranking #5,587 that year. As of 2026, Radu ranks #12,323 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 30 Radus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Radu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Radu is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Radu
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About the name Radu
Radu is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 30 births in the dataset. Radu's peak popularity came in 1976 when it ranked #5,587. Use the chart and map above to compare Radu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1976 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.