Show ContentsRoyal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

When the ancestors of the Royal family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Kent. Their name, however, is a reference to Roisel, France. John Roiale, Normandy was registered in 1180-1195 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae) 1

The first records of the family was as a "personal name Galfrid Roille in Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John." 2

Early Origins of the Royal family

The surname Royal was first found in the Close Rolls where Bernard de Royl was listed in 1230. Later, William de Roille was found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1290. 3

One source presumes that family is from "Ryle, in the manor of Etchells, in the parish of Northendon, Cheshire" 4 and the last roll entry may agree.

An early East Cheshire roll has the following entry: "Sir Nicholas de Eton ... concedes to Sir William de Baggylegh, knt. ... one hamlet... in the vill of Echeles, which is called Ruyhul ... which Richard de Ruyhul held ... c. 1318." 4

This source goes on "most of the Cheshire and Lancashire Royles and Ryles are sprung from this spot, including the late Bishop of Liverpool. In the form of Royle the surname has ramified very strongly." 4 "Royle is the name of an ancient mansion in Whalley parish, [Lancashire]." 5

Early History of the Royal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Royal research. Another 304 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1230, 1290, 1551, 1574, 1603, 1609, 1661, 1669, 1734, 1826, 1831, 1833, 1855, 1858, 1878, 1881 and 1894 are included under the topic Early Royal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Royal Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Royal have been found, including Royle, Royal, Royell, Royl, Roille, Riall, Ryle, Ryall, O'Riall and many more.

Early Notables of the Royal family

More information is included under the topic Early Royal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Royal Ranking

In the United States, the name Royal is the 2,506th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6

Ireland Migration of the Royal family to Ireland

Some of the Royal family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Royal migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Royal were among those contributors:

Royal Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Roger Royal, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 7
  • William Royal, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1629
  • William Royal, who landed in Maine in 1640 7
Royal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • A Royal, aged 30, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 7
  • Agnes Royal, aged 18, who landed in America, in 1895
Royal Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • B.J. Royal, who settled in America, in 1903
  • Belford G Royal, aged 39, who landed in America, in 1905
  • Geo. Royal, aged 44, who settled in America from Norfolk, in 1906
  • Frank Royal, aged 22, who landed in America from London, England, in 1908
  • Kosa Royal, aged 35, who settled in America from Paris, France, in 1909
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Royal migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Royal Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Royal, who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1770

Australia Royal migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Royal Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Royal, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Samuel Royal, British convict who was convicted in Gibraltar for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. Benjamin Royal, English convict who was convicted in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Alice Royal, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 11
  • Frances Royal, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Royal (post 1700) +

  • Doyle P. Royal (1919-2020), American collegiate soccer and tennis coach who coached the University of Maryland soccer team from 1946 to 1973
  • Billy Joe Royal (1942-2015), American pop and country singer, perhaps best known for his song "Down in the Boondocks" in 1965
  • Donald Adam Royal (b. 1966), retired American professional basketball player
  • Robert Shelton Royal (b. 1979), American football tight end
  • William Edward "Eddie" Royal (b. 1986), American football wide receiver and return specialist
  • Darrell K Royal (b. 1924), American football player and coach, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1983)
  • Jesse Te Ahukaramu Royal (b. 1980), New Zealand former professional rugby league player
  • Marie-Ségolène Royal (b. 1953), French politician, presidential nominee in 2012
  • W. Royal Stokes (1930-2021), American writer, music journalist, and music historian
  • Samuel Royal Thurston (1815-1851), American pioneer, lawyer and politician, Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon Territory (1849-1851)

HMS Royal Oak
  • William Desmond Royal (1910-1939), British Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 12
Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)
  • Myra Josephine Royal (1958-1988), American Flight Attendant from London, England, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 13


Suggested Readings for the name Royal +

  • Ancestry of William Henry Wright and Wife Polly Ann Royal and Their Descendants by Watie Delfa Wright Ellis.
  • The Royal Way west by Violet Coe Munford.

  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE - 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Constance.htm
  12. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  13. Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook