Rebel
Rebel is a unisex given name. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Rebel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rebel is a unisex given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rebel
As a girl name
Rebel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 130 Rebels were born — ranking #1,611 that year. As of 2026, Rebel ranks #3,254 for girls with 49 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 2K Rebels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Rebel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 58 Rebels were born — ranking #2,322 that year. As of 2026, Rebel ranks #3,774 for boys with 30 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 995 Rebels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Rebel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rebel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rebel
What does the name Rebel mean?
How popular is Rebel in 2026?
When was Rebel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Rebel most popular?
Is Rebel a unisex name?
What names go well with Rebel?
About the name Rebel
Rebel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Rebel's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #1,611. Use the chart and map above to compare Rebel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.