Reggie
A diminutive form of the English name Reginald, meaning "counsel power" or "wise ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 10,578 living Americans carry the first name Reggie. It is a predominantly male name (95.8% of registrations). The average person named Reggie today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reggie births was 1979 (318 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reggie. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Reggie is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 539 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 32,403 Americans
Peak year
1979
318 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,977
Tracked since 1906
Gender
Gender distribution for Reggie
Reggie leans heavily male at 95.8% of total registrations, but 539 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Reggie as a male name
- Ranked #1,977 in 2024
- 79 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1979 (318 births)
Reggie as a female name
- Ranked #6,847 in 2024
- 17 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (20 births)
Popularity
Reggie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reggie from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 2,317 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
Reggie 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 Reggie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reggies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 36 states and territories. California, Texas, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Reggie, while Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 211 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reggie
The name Reggie is a diminutive form of the name Reginald, which has its origins in the Germanic languages. The name Reginald is derived from the Old German words "regin" meaning "counsel" or "advice" and "waldan" meaning "to rule" or "to govern." Together, these components suggest the meaning "mighty counsellor" or "wise ruler."
The name Reginald gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and other parts of Europe. It was a common name among the Norman aristocracy and was borne by several notable figures in history. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Reginald of Durham, an English monk and historian who lived in the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name Reginald appeared in the epic poem "Parzival" by the German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach. The character Reginald was portrayed as a wise and valiant knight. This literary reference may have contributed to the name's popularity during that time period.
Among the famous historical figures named Reginald, one can mention Reginald Pole (1500-1558), an English cardinal and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another notable figure was Reginald Heber (1783-1826), an English bishop and hymn writer, best known for penning the lyrics to the popular hymn "From Greenland's Icy Mountains."
The diminutive form "Reggie" emerged as a nickname for Reginald in the 19th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this nickname was Reggie Smith (1842-1899), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Another famous Reggie was Reginald "Reggie" Walker (1889-1951), an English cricketer and football player who represented England in both sports.
In the 20th century, the name Reggie gained further recognition with individuals such as Reggie Jackson (born 1946), an American baseball player nicknamed "Mr. October" for his outstanding performances in the World Series. Reggie Lewis (1965-1993) was an American professional basketball player who tragically passed away at a young age due to a heart condition.
Overall, the name Reggie, with its origins in the Germanic languages and its association with wisdom, counsel, and governance, has a rich historical lineage. While it may have evolved into a diminutive form, it continues to carry the essence of its original meaning and has been borne by notable figures throughout history.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Reggie
People
Reggie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reggie 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
Reggie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reggie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,578 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reggie 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 32,403 US residents.
Is Reggie a common name?
We classify Reggie as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12,730 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reggie most popular?
The single biggest year for Reggie was 1979, when 318 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reggie is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reggie a male name?
Yes, 95.8% of people registered as Reggie 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.