Radu is a masculine Romanian given name of Slavic etymological origin, derived from the Old Church Slavonic root rad- (cf. радъ "glad"). Radu became widespread among the (non-Slavic) Romanians because of Radu Negru's status as legendary founder of Wallachia, a historical Romanian state. Many Wallachian and some Moldavian voivodes or princes have been named Radu.

Notable people named Radu include:

A

• Radu Albot (born 1989), Moldovan tennis player
• Radu Aldulescu (1922–2006), Romanian-Italian cellist
• Radu Aldulescu (born 1954), Romanian novelist
• Radu Almășan (born 1980), Romanian singer of the band Bosquito
• Radu Aricescu, Romanian-British molecular neuroscientist

B

• Radu Barbu (born 1989), Romanian football player
• Radu Băldescu (1888–1953), Romanian general during World War II
• Radu Bălescu (1932–2006), Romanian and Belgian physicist
• Radu Beligan (1918–2016), Romanian actor and director
• Radu Berceanu (born 1953), Romanian engineer and politician
• Radu Gioan Bey (1613–1660), Prince of Moldavia
• Radu Bîrzan (born 1999), Romanian football player
• Radu Boboc (born 1999), footballer
• Radu Boureanu (1906–1997), Romanian poet and writer
• Radu Budișteanu (1902–1991), activist of the Iron Guard
• Radu Buzescu (fl. c. 1593–1601), boyar of Wallachia during the reign of Michael the Brave

C

• Radu Câmpeanu (1922–2016), Romanian politician and jurist
• Radu Catan (born 1989), Moldovan football player
• Radu Chiriac (born 2000), Romanian football player
• Radu Ciobanu (born 1975), Romanian football player
• Radu Ciuceanu (1928–2022), Romanian historian and politician
• Radu Crișan (born 1996), Romanian football player

D

• Radu Dărăban (born 1983), Romanian fencer
• Traian Rafael Radu Demetrescu (1866–1896), Romanian writer
• Radu Doicaru (born 1979), Romanian football player
• Radu Drăgușin (born 2002), Romanian football player
• Radu Dudescu (1894–1983), Romanian architect

F

• Radu Filipescu (born 1955), Romanian anti-communist dissident
• Radu Florescu (1925–2014), Romanian historian and academic, professor at Boston College

G

• Radu Gabrea (1937–2017), Romanian filmmaker
• Radu Pavel Gheo (born 1969), Romanian writer
• Radu Ghiță (born 1990), Romanian handball player
• Radu Gînsari (born 1991), Moldovan football player
• Radu Goldiș (born 1947), Romanian-American jazz guitarist
• Adrian Radu Gontariu (born 1984), Romanian volleyball player
• Radu Grigorovici (1911–2008), Romanian physicist
• Radu Gyr (pen name of Radu Demetrescu; 1905–1975), Romanian poet and writer

I

• Radu Irimescu (1890–1975), Romanian businessman, politician, and diplomat
• Radu Ivan (born 1969), Romanian judo practitioner

J

• Radu Jercan (1945–2012), Romanian football player
• Radu Jude (born 1977), Romanian filmmaker

K

• Radu Klapper (1937–2006), Romanian-Israeli poet and author
• Radu Korne (1895–1949), Romanian general during World War II

L

• Radu Lazăr (born 1947), Romanian water polo player
• Radu Lecca (1890–1980), Romanian spy and journalist
• Radu Lefter (born 1970), Romanian football player
• Radu Leonte (born 1991), Romanian football player
• Radu Lupu (1945–2022), Romanian pianist

M

• Radu Malfatti (born 1943), Austrian trombone player and composer
• Radu Manicatide (1912–2004), Romanian engineer and aircraft constructor
• Radu Marculescu, electrical engineer
• Radu Mareș (1941–2016), Romanian writer and journalist
• Radu Marian (born 1977), Moldavian singer sopranist
• Radu Ștefan Mazăre (born 1968), Romanian politician
• Radu Mihăileanu (born 1958), Romanian-French actor and filmmaker
• Radu Mîțu (born 1994), Romanian football player
• Radu Motreanu (born 1998), Romanian football player
• Radu Muntean (born 1971), Romanian filmmaker

N

• Radu Negulescu (born 1941), Romanian table tennis player
• Radu Neguț (born 1981), Romanian football player
• Radu Niculescu (born 1975), Romanian football player
• Radu Nunweiller (born 1944), Romanian football player

P

• Radu Paladi (1927–2013), Romanian composer, pianist, and conductor
• Radu Paliciuc (born 1988), Romanian basketball player
• Radu Pamfil (1951–2009), Romanian football player
• Miron Radu Paraschivescu (1911–1971), Romanian writer
• Radu Petrescu (born 1980), Romanian rugby referee
• Radu Marian Petrescu (born 1982), Romanian football referee
• Radu Podgorean (born 1955), Romanian politician
• Radu Poklitaru (born 1972), Moldovan choreographer
• Dumitru Radu Popa (born 1949), Romanian-American writer
• Dumitru Radu Popescu (1935–2023), Romanian writer
• Mihai Radu Pricop (1950–2018), Romanian politician

R

• Radu Rebeja (born 1973), Moldovan football player
• Radu Rogac (born 1995), Moldovan football player
• Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960 as Radu Duda), husband of Margareta of Romania, pretender to the Romanian throne
• Radu Rosetti (1853–1926), Moldavian and Romanian politician and writer
• Radu D. Rosetti (1874–1964), Romanian writer
• Radu R. Rosetti (1877–1949), Romanian general and historian

S

• Radu Sabău (born 1968), Romanian water polo player
• Radu Sabo (born 1971), Romanian football player
• Radu Scîrneci (1926−2015), Romanian alpine skier
• Radu Scoarță (born 1999), Romanian football player
• Radu Simion (1940–2015), Romanian pan flute player
• Radu Sîrbu (born 1978), Moldovan pop singer, formerly of the boy band O-Zone
• Radu Stanca (1920–1962), poet, playwright, theatre director
• Radu Stroe (born 1949), Romanian navigational engineer and politician
• Radu Lucian Sulica, Romanian-American physician and laryngologist

T

• Radu Țârle (born 1967), Romanian politician
• Radu Timofte (1949–2009), Romanian soldier, politician, and spy chief
• Radu Troi (born 1949), Romanian football player
• Radu Țuculescu (born 1949), Romanian novelist and playwright
• Radu Tudoran (1910–1992), Romanian novelist

V

• Radu Varia (born 1940), art critic and historian
• Radu Vasile (1942–2013), former prime minister of Romania
• Radu G. Vlădescu (1886–1964), Romanian professor of veterinary medicine
• Radu Voina (born 1950), Romanian handball player

Z

• Radu Zaharia (born 1989), football player

Romanian rulers

This section is organized chronologically.

• Radu Negru (Radu the Black; born 1269), legendary founder of Wallachia
• Radu I of Wallachia (fl. c. 1377–1383), Voivode of Wallachia, sometimes identified as Radu Negru
• Radu II of Wallachia (Radu II Praznaglava, Radu II Empty Head, Radu the Bald; died c. 1428), reigned intermittently from 1420–1427
• Radu the Handsome (Radu cel Frumos, Radu III of Wallachia; 1437/1439–1475), the younger brother of Vlad III the Impaler
• Radu IV the Great (Radu cel Mare; 1467–1508), son of Vlad Călugărul, reigned 1495–1508
• Radu Bădica (died 1524), son of Radu IV the Great, reigned 1523–1524
• Radu of Afumați (Radu de la Afumaţi; died 1529), son of Radu cel Mare, reigned intermittently from 1522–1529
• Radu Paisie (Radu VII Paise, Petru I; fl. 1534-1545), son of Radu cel Mare, reigned almost continuously from 1535–1545
• Radu Ilie Haidăul (died 1558), son of Radu of Afumați, reigned 1552–1553
• Radu Mihnea (1586–1626), son of Mihnea Turcitul, reigned from 1601–1602, 1611, 1611–1616, and 1620–1623
• Radu Șerban (died 1620), reigned from 1602–1610 and in 1611
• Radu Iliaș (died 1632), son of Alexandru Iliaș, reigned in 1632
• Radu Leon (also Radu the Oyster-seller; died 1669), son of Leon Tomșa, reigned 1664–1669

Other uses

• Radu Barvon, a character in the light novel series Trinity Blood
• George Ivașcu, Romanian journalist who used the pen name "Radu Vardaru"
• Sofronie Drincec, Romanian Orthodox bishop born "Radu Ștefan Drincec"