Real Salt Lake Logo

The title "Real" (Spanish pronunciation: [reˈal]) is a Spanish word which means "royal" in English. The term is usually used by Spanish clubs who have received royal patronage from a reigning Spanish king, the most famous of which would include Real Madrid, Real Betis and Real Sociedad. In choosing the name "Real", owner Dave Checketts intended to create a brand name that would become well known for its simplicity, as well as an association with the world-famous club in Madrid that the club had been striving toward. Some of the reasons/factors behind using Real was based on the founder/then-owner (Dave Checketts') time in Europe having admiration for Real Madrid during his time as the general manager of the Utah Jazz National Basketball Association franchise. Checketts also found it encouraging that Real Madrid had a basketball team as well.

Local reaction to the new team's name was initially met with mixed feelings, as fans believed that using a traditionally Spanish name was akin to a move of cultural appropriation. On top of that, some thought that the name sounded contrived, and did not truly reflect the Salt Lake area, with other team names such as "Highlanders", "Salt Lake SC", or "Union SLC" being more preferred. However, in recent years, reaction to the name has improved, with the team establishing its identity as a representative of Salt Lake.