Given name & surname
Roel
“as solid as a rock”
Roel is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “as solid as a rock.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “as solid as a rock.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
How it developed
In English usage, Roel as a surname developed from Roelof. In English usage, Roel as a surname developed from Roeland.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1926. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Roel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,711
- 4,711 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 83 babies
- 2025
- 54
- #2,510 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +20%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 54 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,510 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 83 in 2000. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (33). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,768 as a first name in 2020; 631 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Roel’s family of names
In English usage, Roel as a surname developed from Roelof. Roel has a related form in Roele. Roel has a related form in Roell.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Roel
- Roel BrouwersDutch footballerborn 1981
- Roel ReinéDutch film directorborn 1969
- Roel VelascoFilippine boxerborn 1972
- Roel WiersmaDutch footballer (1932-1995)
- VanVelzenDutch singer, songwriter and composerborn 1978
- Roel PaulissenBelgian cyclistborn 1976
- Roel MoorsBelgian basketball player (born 1978)
- Roel BraasDutch rowerborn 1987
- Roel BoomstraDutch draugths playerborn 1993
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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