Rey
Rey was the 908th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 262 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 755th; the most babies were born in 2021 (328). Over the last ten years it has moved down 8 places. More babies were named Rey in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Ray) short form of Raymond · English, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #908 boys, down 28 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 262boys
- Girls and boys
- 11% girls, 89% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021328 babies
- Total since 1880
- 10,222babies recorded
What does the name Rey mean?
Rey is a spelling of Ray, pronounced the same way, so it shares Ray's meaning and origin.
As a first name Ray is mainly a short form of Raymond, a Germanic name from ragin 'advice, counsel' and mund 'protection'. It is also an English surname with several sources: pet forms of Raymond, Old French rei 'king' (compare Roy), and Old English rā 'roe deer'. For girls it is also a short form of Rachel, usually spelled Rae. Ray Charles is a well-known bearer.
ragin (Old High German, “advice, counsel”)mund (Old High German, “protection”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Raymond, Rae, Raye, Roy.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean wisdom, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ray', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Raymond', DMNES (Durham University)
Rey popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,365 | #908 | 24 | 262 |
| 2020 | #2,148 | #880 | 85 | 257 |
| 2010 | — | #852 | — | 249 |
| 2000 | — | #985 | — | 151 |
| 1990 | — | #1,082 | — | 98 |
| 1980 | — | #1,406 | — | 46 |
| 1970 | — | #1,249 | — | 45 |
| 1960 | — | #1,056 | — | 54 |
| 1950 | — | #1,693 | — | 20 |
| 1940 | — | #2,291 | — | 11 |
| 1930 | — | #3,924 | — | 6 |
| 1920 | — | #3,434 | — | 8 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Rey, counting every spelling?
Rey is a spelling of Ray, a name family that ranked #519 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #908 for Rey on its own. Together these spellings went to 581 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray | 319 | #792 | 1,595 |
| Rey | 262 | #908 | 1,532 |
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 Rey?
262 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rey (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Rey 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 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rey?
About 9,100 people born in the US named Rey are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 8 and 31. That makes Rey mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Rey by state
How common Rey was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.7×), Arizona (2.5×), Texas (2.3×). In 29 states fewer than five boys 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 Rey: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rey, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Rey
What does Rey mean?
Rey is a spelling of Ray, which means “short form of Raymond” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Rey?
Rey was the 908th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 262 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 755th; the most babies were born in 2021 (328). Over the last ten years it has moved down 8 places. More babies were named Rey in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Rey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 11% girls, 89% boys given the name Rey in the US.
Where is Rey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rey was most common in California (0.47 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and Texas.