Rae
Rae was the 1306th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 171 babies. Its best year was 1892, when it ranked 313th; the most babies were born in 1956 (406). Over the last ten years it has moved up 749 places. More babies were named Rae in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Rachel; or Scottish surname · English, Scottish, Hebrew
Say it RAY /reɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,306 girls, down 241 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 171girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1956406 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,420babies recorded
What does the name Rae mean?
Rae has two sources. Wiktionary describes it as a short form of Rachel (Hebrew "ewe"), often used as a middle name, and as a Scottish surname, a variant of Roe. Wikipedia also treats it as a feminine of Ray. In the US Rae has been given mostly to girls and was most common in the 1940s to 1960s.
רָחֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Raḥel, ewe (via Rachel)”)
How sure is this? Probable. Rae can be a short form of Rachel or a surname name; the meaning depends on which.
Related names: Ray, Rachel, Raye.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rae', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rachel', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Rae (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Rae popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 960 since 1894, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,306 | 171 |
| 2020 | #1,065 | 233 |
| 2010 | #3,003 | 57 |
| 2000 | #2,169 | 74 |
| 1990 | #1,314 | 124 |
| 1980 | #1,001 | 147 |
| 1970 | #615 | 282 |
| 1960 | #643 | 247 |
| 1950 | #456 | 316 |
| 1940 | #487 | 197 |
| 1930 | #525 | 167 |
| 1920 | #490 | 198 |
| 1910 | #425 | 87 |
| 1900 | #406 | 68 |
| 1890 | #353 | 53 |
| 1880 | #573 | 10 |
How popular is Rae, counting every spelling?
Rae is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,068 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,306 for Rae on its own. Together these spellings went to 212 girls in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Rae?
171 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rae (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rae born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 49 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rae.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rae?
About 14,200 people born in the US named Rae are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 32 and 71. That makes Rae a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Rae by state
How common Rae was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (5.1×), Colorado (2.7×), Arizona (2.0×), Washington (1.9×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rae: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rae, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rae · Sibling names for Rae
Rae is also a nickname for Raelynn, Rachel and Aurelia.
Questions about the name Rae
What does Rae mean?
Rae means “short form of Rachel; or Scottish surname” (English, Scottish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Rae?
Rae was the 1306th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 171 babies. Its best year was 1892, when it ranked 313th; the most babies were born in 1956 (406). Over the last ten years it has moved up 749 places. More babies were named Rae in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Rae a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rae in the US.
Where is Rae most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rae was most common in Utah (0.63 per 1,000 girls), followed by Colorado and Arizona.