Raul peaked in 2000 and holds rank #610 today, with 87,592 total SSA bearers. It's the Spanish and Portuguese form of Ralph or Ralf — leaner, more melodic, and with a cultural heritage that spans Latin America, Spain, and Brazil. In the United States, Raul has been a consistent presence in Hispanic communities for decades without ever crossing into mainstream adoption.
Romance Language Roots
Raul is the Spanish and Portuguese adaptation of the Germanic Radulf, from rad (counsel) + wulf (wolf) — meaning "wolf counsel." The name traveled from Germanic tribes into medieval Latin as Radulfus, then evolved through Old French Raoul into the Iberian peninsula's Raul. It has been in consistent use across Spanish-speaking cultures for centuries, carried by saints, poets, and political figures throughout Latin American history.
Famous Bearers Across Borders
Raul has notable bearers across multiple fields. Cuban President Raúl Castro, Spanish tennis legend Raúl González (the footballer known simply as Raúl), and Brazilian actor Raul Cortez represent the name's geographic reach. In American popular culture, the name often signals Latin identity explicitly — which for some families is precisely the point, and for others makes the name feel more culturally specific than they intend.
The Accent Mark Question
Standard Spanish spelling is Raúl with an accent, but American SSA records and most everyday uses drop the accent. That small typographical gap between the Spanish original and the anglicized form is worth thinking through — families with strong ties to Spanish-speaking culture may feel the accent matters. Those using the name primarily for its sound and feel may not. Either way, at 87,592 total bearers, Raul has deep American roots even as it remains strongly associated with Hispanic naming traditions.