2000
#21,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Regal
Referring to kingly, royal, or majestic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,393 Americans carry the last name Regal. That puts it at #21,835 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 246,055 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Regal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 246,055
Census rank
#21,835
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,215 bearers of the surname Regal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21835th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Regal, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Regal
The surname Regal originates from the Old French word "regal", meaning "royal" or "kingly". It is believed to have first emerged in the medieval period, particularly in regions of France where the French language was spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Regal can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and estates across England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Regal surname was associated with individuals who held positions of authority or had ties to the royal court. Some historical records indicate that the name was occasionally bestowed upon individuals who exhibited regal or noble qualities, regardless of their actual social status.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Sir William Regal (c. 1320 - 1388) served as a knight and advisor to King Edward III of England. His legacy is documented in various chronicles and records of the time, highlighting the prestige associated with the Regal name during this period.
Another notable bearer of the Regal surname was Jean Regal (c. 1450 - 1520), a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Italian Wars under King Louis XII. He is mentioned in several contemporary accounts for his bravery and strategic prowess on the battlefield.
During the Renaissance era, the Regal surname gained further prominence with the rise of the humanist scholar and poet Jacques Regal (1505 - 1567). Born in Paris, his works and writings were widely circulated and celebrated throughout Europe, contributing to the intellectual and cultural renaissance of the time.
In the 17th century, the Regal name found its way to the New World, as evidenced by the arrival of Robert Regal (1625 - 1698) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He became one of the early settlers in the region and is recorded as having established a successful farm and trading business.
Throughout history, the Regal surname has been associated with a sense of nobility and prestige, reflecting its etymological roots in the concept of royalty and kingship. While its geographic origins can be traced back to France, the name has since spread across various regions and cultures, leaving a lasting imprint on historical records and accounts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Regal
Among Census respondents with the surname Regal, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Regal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Regal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.5% · 978
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 47
- Black or African American3.3% · 40
- Two or more races3.0% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Regal
Regal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,157
+23 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 802 places
2020
#21,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,215
+58 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,479 | 1,134 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,281 | 1,157 | 0.39 | +23 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 802 places |
| 2020 | #21,835 | 1,215 | 0.41 | +58 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 446 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Regal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,281 | #21,835 | 2.0% |
| Count | 1,157 | 1,215 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.41 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Regal bearers went from 1,157 to 1,215 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 446 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,281 to #21,835.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Regal
FAQ
Regal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Regal?
Name Census estimates that about 1,393 living Americans carry the surname Regal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 246,055 residents.
How common is Regal?
Regal ranks #21,835 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,215 people with the surname Regal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Regal.
Has Regal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Regal went from 1,157 recorded bearers to 1,215. That is an increase of 58 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,281 to #21,835.
What does the Census say about the background of Regal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Regal, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Regal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (978 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Regal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.5%), Hispanic (9.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Regal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Regal mean?
Referring to kingly, royal, or majestic. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Regal (0.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Regal?
You can see how many people have the last name Regal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.