Raul
Raul, Raúl, Raül, and Raüll are forms of a common first name in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan. The name is cognate of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph and the French Raoul, and is derived from Old English Rædwulf through Radulf.
Meaning & Origin of Raul
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raul, Raúl, Raül, and Raüll are forms of a common first name in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan. The name is cognate of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph and the French Raoul, and is derived from Old English Rædwulf through Radulf.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Raul
Raul first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1904, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 1,519 Rauls were born — ranking #223 that year. As of 2026, Raul ranks #616 for baby boys with 471 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 89K Rauls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Raul
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Raoul (founder of Vaucelles Abbey) (d. 1152), also known as Saint Raul
- Raul (entertainer) (born 2003), Japanese singer and entertainer
- Raúl Acosta (born 1962), Colombian road cyclist
- Raúl Alfonsín (1927–2009), former President of Argentina (1983–89)
- Raúl Albiol (born 1985), Spanish footballer
- Raul Amaya (born 1986), American mixed martial artist
- Raúl Baena (born 1989), Spanish association football player
- Raul Boesel (born 1957), Brazilian race car driver
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Raul
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raul 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 Raul
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About the name Raul
Raul is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1904 and has accumulated 89K births in the dataset. Raul's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #189. Use the chart and map above to compare Raul's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.