Names that mean 'King'

  1. Rey
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.
  2. Emyr
    • Origin:

      Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      Emyr is a name that is well-known in Wales, but little heard outside of it. There are several well-known Emyrs, from the famed Welsh novelist and poet Emyr Humphries to footballer Emyr Huws.
  3. Rey
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      Rey, a Ray-soundalike that has ranked on the boys' side for the past 15 years, is about to get more popular for girls too, now that it's the name of the new heroine of the latest Star Wars movie. While the sound of the name is nothing new, the royal connection is, joining names such as Reign (Kardashian) and Charlotte (the new Princess) in an expansive definition of royal baby names.
  4. Rian
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      More authentic and original form of Ryan, but far less common of the two spellings in the US. There were about 170 baby boys named Rian in the US last year, versus over 4000 named Ryan.
  5. Melchior
    • Origin:

      Dutch from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "city of the king; king of light"
    • Description:

      The least used of the Three Wise Men's names, but a strong option for bold namers to consider.
  6. Regan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      A spelling variant of presidential surname Regan that briefly entered the Top 1000 for boys in the 1960s, but hasn't rejoined the list since. Shakespeare also used the name for a daughter of King Lear, inspired by an ancient king of the Britons in accounts of the medieval scribe Geoffrey of Monmouth.
  7. Ryne
    • Origin:

      Variation of Ryan, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      Baseball player Ryne Sandberg's nickname is RYNO. Need we say more?
  8. Balthasar
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "God protects the king"
    • Description:

      Balthasar was one of the biblical Three Kings who visited the infant Jesus, also used by Shakespeare and in the oil-rich Getty family; offbeat and intriguing. Balthazar is another, equally appropriate spelling.
  9. Riaan
    • Origin:

      Variation of Ryan or Hindi
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      South African adventurer Riaan Manser introduced this name to the American and European world. After bicycling the entire coast of Africa and rowing with his girlfriend from Morocco to New York, he wrote books about his travels and made his name famous. Riaan was also the baby name choice of Bollywood stars Genelia D'Souza and Riteish Deshmukh. It debuted on the US popularity list at Number 926 in 2015, when it was the fastest-rising name of the year. Nonetheless, be prepared to correct people on the spelling.
  10. Heinrich
    • Origin:

      German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Traditional German names of this ilk have had a difficult time emigrating into the American name pool, mostly because anti-German sentiment during the two world wars of the 20th century drove German names out of fashion. One of Heinrich's nicknames, Harro, might do better.
  11. Royce
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "son of the king"
    • Description:

      Royce is a grandpa name with an upscale link to Rolls Royce, and a surprising rise for girls since the early noughties. Rebel Wilson has a daughter named Royce Lillian.
  12. Sargon
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "true king"
    • Description:

      Name of a king featured in the Old Testament.
  13. Minos
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      In Greek Mythology, Minos was the first king of Crete. The Minotaur was born to his wife after Minos refused to sacrifice his bull to Poseidon.
  14. Baltazar
    • Origin:

      Spanish (from Phoenecian)
    • Meaning:

      "Baal protects the King"
    • Description:

      This variation spelling of Balthasar is most often used in South America. Argentinian football star Joan Figallo recently called his son Baltazar.
  15. Mufasa
    • Origin:

      African
    • Meaning:

      "king"
    • Description:

      Known for being the name of Simba's father in the Lion King.
  16. Delroy
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "servant of the king"
    • Description:

      One of the more subtle of the names with a royal meaning, Delroy has a vintage flavor and would be a distinctive choice today.
  17. Donn
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "king; brown"
    • Description:

      Ancient Irish king of the underworld, so much more powerful than Don.
  18. Vercingetorix
    • Origin:

      Gaulish
    • Meaning:

      "king over warriors"
    • Description:

      An ancient Gaulish king with a cumbersome name and history. Vercingetorix was the leader of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in a revolt against Roman forces during Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. He was ultimately defeated, brought to Rome, and executed.
  19. Oluwatobiloba
    • Origin:

      Yoruba
    • Meaning:

      "God is a great king"
    • Description:

      This Yoruba name, with a mighty meaning, might seem a mouthful at first, but is often shortened to Tobi, which makes it far more manageable for non Nigerians.
  20. Viceroy
    • Origin:

      Word name, English
    • Meaning:

      "ruler who represents the king"
    • Description:

      A new one for the ever-growing collection of royal baby names.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo