Names That Mean King

Ara is a unique boys' name that one of the most melodious in the Armenian name pool, familiarized by Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian. In Armenian mythology, Ara was a king so handsome that a rival queen went to war in order to make him her own. The name Ara is also known in the Arabic and Hebrew cultures.

This ultrapopular boys' name is rapidly becoming a hot name for girls; admired for its buoyant Irish spirit.

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.

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.

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.

Baseball player Ryne Sandberg's nickname is RYNO. Need we say more?

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.

Ovie entered the British Top 1000 in 2020, following the appearance of contestant Ovie Soko on Love Island in 2019.

The name of the King of Rohan in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, supposedly a translation of Rohirric Tûrac ("king"). Tolkien based the Rohirric language on Old English.

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.

Name of a king featured in the Old Testament.

Inextricably tied to the former president, Reagan is a handsome surname name with a cool, current sound. Gender-neutral nickname Ray/Rae is also very on-trend right now.

The origin of the Anglicized Ryan, this Irish name feels like a brighter and fresher alternative.

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.

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.

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.

Ashkan, also spelled Ashkahn, is derived from Ashk, the name of an ancient Persian king. The Ashkan or Parthian empire was in what is now central Iran.

An English surname originally given to the illegitimate sons of a monarch. Might be a nice middle name choice to honor an ancestral Roy.

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

The Swiss city of Basel was first Basilia, thought to have been dubbed in honor of the Roman castle of the same name. The castle's name would have derived from Basilius, a Roman personal name from which the name Basil also originated.