Boy · #793 in 2026

Rey

Name: Popularity of the name Rey in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rey, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Rey is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Domingo Rey d'Harcourt, Spanish military officer Rey Bucanero, the ring name of wrestler Arturo García Ortiz Rey Echavarria Bulay, Filipino lawyer Rey Galang, Filipino martial artist Rey Maualuga, American college football player Rey Mysterio Jr., the ring name of wrestler Oscar Gutierrez Rey Misterio, the ring name of wrestler Miguel…

Spanish
Popular Culture

Current Rank

#793

Peak Rank

#751 (2021)

Total Babies

10K

5-Yr Trend

+6%

2016

First Year

2026

Last Year

2020

Peak Year

#2132

Peak Rank

529

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rey

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Spanish
Popular Culture

The Story of Rey

Rey first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2021: 328 births, good for #763 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Reys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #793 among baby boy names with 322 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 10K Reys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Rey

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rey. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Rey

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rey is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ray
Re
Array
Rea
Rae
Rei
Wray
Reay
Raye
Rre
Raw
Ra

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rey

What does the name Rey mean?

What is the origin of the name Rey?

Rey has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Spanish, Popular Culture.

How popular is Rey in 2026?

In 2026, Rey ranks #793 among boys' names in the U.S., with 322 babies given the name that year.

When was Rey most popular?

Rey reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #751 that year with 328 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rey most popular?

Rey has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, New Mexico, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rey.

Is Rey a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rey is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Rey?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rey include Tex, Justine, Yael. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Rey?

Common variants and related forms of Rey include Reinaldo, Reynaldo. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Rey

Rey is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Rey's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #751. Use the chart and map above to compare Rey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.