Rei
Gender-neutral name · Japanese
- US rank
- #3,314
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #3,314 in 2025
35 babies were named Rei in the US in 2025. It has climbed 2,137 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1974–2025
US births per million boys, 1987–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Rei you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Rei
Rei Hance
American actress and writer
Choose Rei and your child shares a first name with Rei Hance, an American actress and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Rei, like who?” Rei Hance's Wikipedia article is available in 20 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Rei Hance on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Midnight Movie Trash, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 48,780 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Rei, 35 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Rei would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRei first shows up in US birth records in 1974, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 51 years since.
- Best yearRei is at its all-time high right now: #3,314 in 2025.
- Then vs nowRei is 4.0× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 196,078 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 48,780.
- TrendRei has climbed 2,137 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #3,314. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Boy or girlRei is given to both boys and girls: 59% of the 59 babies named Rei in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
About the name Rei
Rei is a gender-neutral name of Japanese origin. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-rei”. US birth records list Rei for boys from 1987 to 2025, in 31 of those 39 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #3,314 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,314, with 35 babies. Of the 59 US babies named Rei in 2025, 41% were girls and 59% were boys.
Origin:Japanese names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.6 | 1,764,706 girls |
| 1980s | 1.1 | 892,857 girls |
| 1990s | 1.5 | 671,141 girls |
| 2000s | 5.5 | 183,150 girls |
| 2010s | 13 | 79,936 girls |
| 2020s | 19 | 54,054 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.9 | 1,111,111 boys |
| 1990s | 1.6 | 621,118 boys |
| 2000s | 6.2 | 162,602 boys |
| 2010s | 9.0 | 111,483 boys |
| 2020s | 15 | 68,182 boys |
Other spellings of Rei
More Japanese names
- Unisex name: Asa · healer
- Unisex name: Akira · bright, clear
- Unisex name: Mars · god of war
- Unisex name: Sora · sky
- Unisex name: Namir · leopard
- Girl name: Terra · earth
- Unisex name: Sakura · cherry blossom
- Boy name: Ken · handsome
Questions about the name Rei
What is the origin of the name Rei?
Rei has Japanese roots in our records. Other Japanese names include Asa, Akira, Mars.
Is Rei a boy or girl name?
Both. Rei is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 41% of US babies named Rei were girls.
How popular is the name Rei?
Rei ranked #3,314 for US boys in 2025, given to 35 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#3,314).