Given name & surname · also German
Royce
Royce is a unisex given name from Middle English.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with German and French naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1892. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Royce through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 35,662
- 33,154 boys · 2,508 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 857 babies
- 2025
- 626
- #500 for boys · #6,074 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −4%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 93% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 606 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 500 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 0.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 20 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (78). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 20,155 as a first name in 2020; 4,961 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.
Royce’s family of names
In English usage, Royce shares a linguistic root with Rose. Royce has a related form in Roice. Royce has a related form in Roise.
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 Royce
- Royce da 5'9"American rapperborn 1977
- Royce GracieBrazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighterborn 1966
- Royce D. ApplegateAmerican actor (1939–2003)
- Royce O'NealeAmerican basketball player (born 1993)
- Royce WhiteAmerican basketball player (born 1991)
- Royce PierresonBritish theater and film actorborn 1989
- Ugly GodAmerican rapper and producer (born 1996)
- Royce OpendaGabonese footballer (born 2002)
- Royce FreemanAmerican football player (born 1996)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Royce, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Otto
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Rhett
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99% boys · 1% girls
Noel
“born at Christmastime”
81% boys · 19% girls
Axel
“source of life; small oak” · “axe”
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Conrad
“a brave and bold ruler; a bold advisor”
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Cruz
“of the cross”
98% boys · 2% girls
Cruise
Cruise is a surname from Anglo-Norman.
>99% boys