Reco
An abbreviated form of the Spanish name "Recoaro", potentially meaning "strength and vigor".
Name Census estimates that about 1,131 living Americans carry the first name Reco. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Reco today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reco births was 1976 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reco. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 303,054 Americans
Peak year
1976
66 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2017 SSA rank
#7,438
Tracked since 1956
Popularity
Reco: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reco from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 411 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reco 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 Reco during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Recos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Reco, while Ohio, Illinois, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 29 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reco
The name Reco is believed to have its origins in the Basque language, spoken in the Basque Country region of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is thought to be derived from the Basque word "erreko," meaning "to burn" or "to toast." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with occupations or activities related to fire, such as blacksmithing or baking.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reco can be found in a 12th-century Basque manuscript, where it appears as the name of a blacksmith. This lends credence to the theory of its occupational roots. However, the name's usage seems to have been relatively limited within the Basque region until the late medieval period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Reco de Alava appears in historical records as a prominent landowner and military leader in the Basque province of Alava. His involvement in conflicts against the Kingdom of Castile during that time period suggests that the name may have gained some recognition and prestige within the Basque nobility.
Moving forward to the 16th century, a Reco Urtubia is mentioned in a Basque literary work, "Gero" by Pedro de Agerre, as a renowned poet and philosopher. This indicates that the name had spread beyond just military or occupational contexts and into the realms of arts and scholarship.
In the 18th century, a Reco Larrañaga is recorded as a respected Basque linguist and lexicographer, contributing significantly to the preservation and study of the Basque language. His work helped to further cement the name's association with intellectual and cultural pursuits among the Basque people.
Another noteworthy figure was Reco Etxebarria, a 19th-century Basque entrepreneur and industrialist, known for his successful business ventures in the mining and steel industries. This suggests that the name had also gained prominence in the commercial and industrial sectors by that time.
While the name Reco has maintained a presence within the Basque Country throughout history, its usage has remained relatively limited in comparison to more widespread names of the region. Nevertheless, its unique origins and associations with various occupations, intellectual pursuits, and cultural significance have contributed to its enduring legacy within the Basque linguistic and cultural landscape.
People
Reco + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reco 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
Reco: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reco?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,131 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reco 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 303,054 US residents.
Is Reco a common name?
We classify Reco as "Rare". It ranks above 90.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,197 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reco most popular?
The single biggest year for Reco was 1976, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reco is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reco a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reco in the SSA data are male. 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.