Rainy
Of English origin, a name alluding to wet weather conditions.
Name Census estimates that about 982 living Americans carry the first name Rainy. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rainy today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rainy births was 2014 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rainy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
982
~ 1 in 349,037 Americans
Peak year
2014
31 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,843
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Rainy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rainy from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 244 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Rainy remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rainy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rainy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rainys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, California, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Rainy, while Oklahoma, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rainy
The name Rainy is a modern English word name derived from the word "rain," which has its origins in the Old English word "regn." It is a relatively recent name that has gained popularity in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly in English-speaking countries.
While the name Rainy itself does not have a long historical lineage, it is believed to be inspired by the natural phenomenon of rain, which has held significant cultural and symbolic meanings across various civilizations throughout history. In many ancient cultures, rain was revered as a life-giving force, associated with fertility, renewal, and the cycle of life.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rainy is difficult to pinpoint with certainty, as it is a relatively modern name. However, there are a few notable individuals who have carried the name Rainy throughout history.
One of the earliest known individuals named Rainy was Rainy Monckton (1790-1865), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Scotland and had a distinguished career, participating in several notable battles and receiving various honors for his service.
Another notable individual named Rainy was Rainy MacKinnon (1865-1940), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1917, representing the electoral district of Peel. He played an active role in Canadian politics during the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Rainy Nights (1855-1927) was the pen name of American author and poet Ella Higginson, who was known for her works that celebrated the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
In the field of sports, Rainy Lara (born 1975) is a former Australian cricketer who played for the Australian women's national cricket team and represented Australia in both Test and One Day International matches during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
More recently, Rainy Dickey (born 1974) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, known for her work in the indie rock and alternative country genres. She has released several albums and has gained a following in the independent music scene.
While the name Rainy may not have a long and storied history like some other names, it has gained popularity in recent decades and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their own unique mark on their respective fields and contributing to the cultural tapestry of the world.
People
Rainy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rainy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rainy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rainy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 982 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rainy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 349,037 US residents.
Is Rainy a common name?
We classify Rainy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,015 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rainy most popular?
The single biggest year for Rainy was 2014, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rainy is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rainy a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rainy in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.