Rex
Rex is a male given name, short for Rexford or Reginald, derived from the Latin word rex, meaning "king". This is the etymological root word for king in several languages.
Meaning & Origin of Rex
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rex is a male given name, short for Rexford or Reginald, derived from the Latin word rex, meaning "king". This is the etymological root word for king in several languages.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rex
Rex first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1951, when 1,503 Rexs were born — ranking #170 that year. As of 2026, Rex ranks #797 for baby boys with 321 births, falling sharply (-15%). In total, more than 61K Rexs 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 Rex
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rex 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 Rex
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About the name Rex
Rex is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 61K births in the dataset. Rex's peak popularity came in 1951 when it ranked #170. Use the chart and map above to compare Rex's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1951 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.