Rene
René is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus.
Meaning & Origin of Rene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
René is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rene
As a girl name
Rene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1885, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1962, when 916 Renes were born — ranking #306 that year. As of 2026, Rene ranks #6,424 for girls with 18 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 22K Renes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Rene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 869 Renes were born — ranking #261 that year. As of 2026, Rene ranks #1,013 for boys with 221 births, holding steady (-5%). In total, more than 51K Renes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Rene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rene 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 Rene
What does the name Rene mean?
How popular is Rene in 2026?
When was Rene most popular?
In which U.S. states is Rene most popular?
Is Rene a unisex name?
What names go well with Rene?
About the name Rene
Rene is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 51K births in the dataset. Rene's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #256. Use the chart and map above to compare Rene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy 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.