Names That Mean King
Few meanings are as bold as “king.” Names built on it range from the plain and punchy (Rex, Rey, King) to the ancient and grand (Melchizedek, Rajendra, Shahriar). Almost every culture has one, because almost every culture had a king: Latin rex, Greek basileus, Hebrew melekh, Arabic malik, Sanskrit raja, Yoruba oba.
We’ve collected 100 names that mean king, royal or ruler, grouped by origin, and flagged the popular ones whose “king” meaning is only traditional (like Ryan and Roy). For more regal ideas see royal boy names, real monarchs in king names, or the matching list of names that mean queen.
English, Latin and Greek names that mean king
Latin rex and French roi gave English several short, confident names, while Greek basileus (“king”) produced Basil and its Eastern European forms. See also our strong boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Rex | Latin, “king” | Latin |
| Regis | Latin, “of the king” | Latin / French |
| Regulus | Latin, “little king”; the brightest star in Leo | Latin |
| Rey | Spanish, “king” | Spanish |
| Reyes | Spanish, “kings,” after the Three Kings | Spanish |
| Leroy | From French le roi, “the king” | French / English |
| Elroy | Variant of Leroy, “the king” | English |
| Delroy | Traditionally “of the king” | English / Caribbean |
| Roy | Gaelic ruadh, “red”; later linked to French roi, “king” | Scottish / French |
| Royal | English word name | English |
| Kingston | Old English, “king’s town” | English |
| Kingsley | Old English, “king’s wood” or “king’s clearing” | English |
| Kinsley | Old English, “royal clearing” (now mostly a girl name) | English |
| Rexford | “King’s ford” | English |
| Kenrick | Old English Cyneric, “royal ruler” | English |
| Basil | Greek basileios, “royal, kingly” | Greek |
| Basilio | Spanish and Italian form of Basil | Spanish / Italian |
| Vasily | Russian form of Basil, “royal” | Russian |
| Vasilis | Modern Greek form of Basil | Greek |
| Vasilisa | Russian, “royal, queenly” (girl) | Russian |
Irish and Celtic names that mean king
The Old Irish word rí (“king”) sits behind several Irish names. Some meanings, like Ryan’s “little king,” are the traditional interpretation rather than proven. More in Irish boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan | Irish, traditionally “little king” | Irish |
| Rian | Irish Rían, “little king” | Irish |
| Rory | Irish Ruaidhrí, “red king” | Irish |
| Ruairí | Irish spelling of Rory, “red king” | Irish |
| Regan | Irish Ríagán, “little king” | Irish |
| Reagan | Surname form of Regan; now unisex | Irish |
| Riordan | Irish Ríoghbhardán, “royal poet” | Irish |
| Brendan | Possibly from a Welsh word for “prince” | Irish / Welsh |
Hebrew and biblical names that mean king
In the Bible, melekh (“king”) often refers to God, so several of these names are statements of faith. Explore more in biblical names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Elimelech | “My God is king”; Naomi’s husband (Ruth 1:2) | Hebrew |
| Malkiel | “God is my king” (Genesis 46:17) | Hebrew |
| Malkijah | “My king is Yahweh” (Jeremiah 38:6) | Hebrew |
| Melchizedek | “King of righteousness” (Genesis 14:18) | Hebrew |
| Melchior | Traditionally “king of light”; one of the Three Wise Men | Hebrew / Persian |
| Malchus | From melekh, “king”; the servant in John 18:10 | Greek / Hebrew |
Arabic, Persian and Turkish names meaning king
Malik and Sultan are classic Arabic choices, while Persian names built on shah (“king”) are common across Iran, Afghanistan and South Asia. See Arabic boy names and Turkish boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Malik | Arabic, “king” | Arabic |
| Abdul Malik | Arabic, “servant of the King” (God) | Arabic |
| Sultan | Arabic, “ruler, authority” | Arabic |
| Amir | Arabic, “prince, commander” | Arabic |
| Emir | Turkish form of Amir, “prince, ruler” | Turkish |
| Melik | Turkish, from Arabic malik, “king” | Turkish |
| Shah | Persian, “king” | Persian |
| Shahriar | Persian, “king, sovereign” | Persian |
| Shahzad | Persian, “prince, born of a king” | Persian |
| Shahrukh | Persian, “royal face” | Persian |
| Shahbaz | Persian, “royal falcon” | Persian |
| Kian | Persian, “king, royal” (Irish Cian, “ancient”) | Persian |
| Khan | Turkic and Mongol title, “ruler” | Central Asian |
| Hakan | Turkish, “ruler, emperor” (from khagan) | Turkish |
| Kaan | Turkish, “ruler, khan” | Turkish |
| Tekin | Old Turkic, “prince” | Turkish |
Indian names that mean king
Raja (“king”) and its many compounds are some of the most common boy names in India. Find more in Indian boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Raja | Sanskrit, “king” | Indian |
| Rajan | Sanskrit, “king” | Indian |
| Raj | Sanskrit, “rule, kingdom” | Indian |
| Rajesh | Sanskrit, “lord of kings” | Indian |
| Rajendra | Sanskrit, “king of kings” | Indian |
| Rajveer | Sanskrit, “brave king” | Indian |
| Rajkumar | Sanskrit, “prince” | Indian |
| Narendra | Sanskrit, “king of men” | Indian |
| Nrip | Sanskrit, “king” | Indian |
| Nripesh | Sanskrit, “king of kings” | Indian |
| Bhupal | Sanskrit, “king, protector of the land” | Indian |
| Bhupendra | Sanskrit, “king of kings, lord of the earth” | Indian |
| Mahipal | Sanskrit, “protector of the earth, king” | Indian |
| Samrat | Sanskrit, “emperor” | Indian |
African and Pacific names that mean king
Yoruba names beginning with Oba (“king”) are often given to boys born into royal lineages. See more in African boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Oba | Yoruba, “king” | Yoruba |
| Obafemi | Yoruba, “the king loves me” | Yoruba |
| Obadele | Yoruba, “the king arrives home” | Yoruba |
| Eze | Igbo, “king” | Igbo |
| Ezeoma | Igbo, “good king” | Igbo |
| Mansa | Mandinka, “king”; Mansa Musa of Mali | West African |
| Nana | Akan title for a king, chief or elder | Ghanaian |
| Nkosi | Zulu and Xhosa, “king, lord” | South African |
| Kgosi | Tswana, “king, chief” | Botswana |
| Kgosietsile | Tswana, “the king has come” | Botswana |
| Negash | Amharic, “he will reign, ruler” | Ethiopian |
| Hari | Tagalog, “king” (also a Sanskrit name of Vishnu) | Filipino |
| Aliʻi | Hawaiian, “chief, royalty” | Hawaiian |
| Ariki | Māori, “paramount chief, lord” | Māori |
| Kīngi | Māori form of King | Māori |
Names that mean ruler
Germanic names ending in -ric (“ruler, power”) and Slavic names with vlad (“rule”) don’t say “king” outright, but they were royal favorites for centuries.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Eric | Old Norse, “ever ruler” | Norse |
| Derek | Germanic, “ruler of the people” | Germanic |
| Richard | Germanic, “strong ruler” | Germanic |
| Frederick | Germanic, “peaceful ruler” | Germanic |
| Henry | Germanic, “ruler of the home” | Germanic |
| Roderick | Germanic, “famous ruler” | Germanic |
| Harold | Old English, “army ruler” | English |
| Walter | Germanic, “ruler of the army” | Germanic |
| Reginald | Germanic, “counsel ruler” | Germanic |
| Donald | Gaelic, “world ruler” | Scottish |
| Rhodri | Welsh, “wheel ruler” | Welsh |
| Vladimir | Slavic, “ruler of the world” or “famous rule” | Slavic |
| Vladislav | Slavic, “rules with glory” | Slavic |
Last names that mean king
Surnames meaning king often started as nicknames for someone who played the king in a pageant or who acted like one.
| Surname | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| King | English; also a popular first name | English |
| König | German, “king” | German |
| Koning | Dutch, “king” | Dutch |
| Král | Czech, “king” | Czech |
| Korolev | Russian, from korol, “king” | Russian |
| Király | Hungarian, “king” | Hungarian |
| Wang | Chinese 王, “king”; one of the most common surnames in the world | Chinese |
| Kaiser | German, “emperor” | German |
How to choose a name that means king
- Balance boldness with wearability: King and Royal make a statement, while Rex, Ryan or Basil carry the meaning more quietly.
- Check the history. Melchizedek and Elimelech are deeply biblical; Leroy and Delroy have a vintage, soulful feel.
- Pair with a softer middle name, such as Rex Julian or Malik James. Our boy middle names list can help.
- Say the full name aloud with your surname. Short king names like Rex, Rey and Roy suit long surnames, while Melchior or Rajendra pair well with short ones.
- Match siblings with meanings from names that mean queen or names that mean warrior.
Frequently asked questions
What boy name means king?
Rex (Latin), Rey (Spanish), Leroy (French), Malik (Arabic), Rajan (Sanskrit), Oba (Yoruba) and Basil (Greek, “royal”) all mean king.
Does Ryan mean king?
Ryan is traditionally interpreted as “little king,” from the Irish Rían. The exact origin is uncertain, but the royal meaning is the one most widely given.
What name means king of kings?
Rajendra, Nripesh and Bhupendra (Sanskrit) mean king of kings, and the Persian title Shahanshah has the same meaning.
What Arabic name means king?
Malik means king. Sultan means ruler, Amir means prince, and Abdul Malik means “servant of the King,” referring to God.
Is Kingston a popular name?
Yes. Kingston, “king’s town,” entered the US top 200 in the 2010s and remains a common modern choice (SSA data).