Ryu

#29 in Hawaii

Meaning of Ryu

Ryu breezes in from Japan on a puff of fire-scented wind, carrying the meaning “dragon” on his broad, invisible wings, and third-person observers can almost hear the whoosh of a kung-fu kick each time the name is spoken—ree-yoo, quick as a spark. He belongs to the same mythic menagerie that gave the world Quetzalcóatl, so a mamá or papá steeped in Latin warmth can picture an ancient serpiente del cielo dancing over both Kyoto temples and Caribbean waves. Pop-culture buffs will grin at the Street Fighter hero, a stoic warrior who reminds everyone that strength wears a kind face, while anime fans might recall countless silver-scaled dragons guarding hidden valleys. Despite his cinematic swagger, Ryu has been a quiet, slow-burn favorite in the United States, gliding in and out of the top 1,000 since the late ’80s—never flashy, always steady, like embers that promise a dawn fire. In short, Ryu is compact, international, and just a little bit mágico: perfect for parents who want a name that purrs softly at home yet roars when adventure calls.

Pronunciation

Japanese

  • Pronunced as ree-yoo (/ɾjuː/)

U.S. Popularity Chart

States Popularity Chart

Similar Names to Ryu

Notable People Named Ryu

Ryu Jun-yeol -
Ryu Seung-ryong -
Ryu Mitsuse -
Ryu Deok-hwan -
Ryu Seung-min -
Ryu Seung-woo -
Ryu Takao -
Ryu Jae-moon -
Ryu Hyun-woo -
Ryu Hyun-woo -
Ryu Seung-woo -
Ryū Murakami -
Carmen Teresa Lopez
Curated byCarmen Teresa Lopez

Assistant Editor