Ryu
Ryu is a name with a single cultural origin: Japanese.
- Japanese
Meaning & Origin of Ryu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ryu is a name with a single cultural origin: Japanese.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Japanese
The Story of Ryu
American parents first put Ryu on the record books as a baby boy name in 1985, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2012, when 130 Ryus were born — ranking #1,314 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 40% of all recorded Ryus. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,509 among baby boy names with 119 births, rising sharply (+46% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Ryus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ryu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ryu 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 Ryu
What does the name Ryu mean?
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How popular is Ryu in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Ryu most popular?
Is Ryu a unisex name?
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About the name Ryu
Ryu is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1985 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ryu's peak popularity came in 2012 when it ranked #1,314. Use the chart and map above to compare Ryu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2012 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.