Rei
Rei is both a Japanese given name and a Hebrew given name.
Meaning & Origin of Rei
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rei is both a Japanese given name and a Hebrew given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rei
As a girl name
Rei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1974, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 48 Reis were born — ranking #3,221 that year. As of 2026, Rei ranks #6,214 for girls with 19 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 566 Reis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Rei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1987, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 34 Reis were born — ranking #3,358 that year. As of 2026, Rei ranks #4,051 for boys with 27 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 497 Reis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Rei
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Rei Dan (檀れい, born 1971), actress
- Ray Fujita (藤田玲, born 1988), actor
- Rei Hanagata (born 1990), Japanese manga artist and a manga script writer
- Rei Harakami ( 原神 玲 ; 1970–2011) , Japanese record producer
- Rei Higuchi ( 樋口 黎 ; born 1996) , Japanese freestyle wrestler
- Rei Hirakawa ( 平川 怜 ; born 2000) , Japanese professional footballer
- Rei Hiroe (広江 礼威, born 1972), manga artist
- Rei Ieizumi ( 家泉 怜依 ; born 2000) , Japanese footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Rei
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rei 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 Rei
What does the name Rei mean?
How popular is Rei in 2026?
When was Rei most popular?
In which U.S. states is Rei most popular?
Is Rei a unisex name?
What names go well with Rei?
About the name Rei
Rei is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 566 births in the dataset. Rei's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #3,221. Use the chart and map above to compare Rei's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- 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.