Rein
A masculine given name of Germanic origin meaning "pure" or "counselor".
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the first name Rein. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Rein today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rein births was 2023 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rein. 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
256
~ 1 in 1,338,884 Americans
Peak year
2023
27 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,383
Tracked since 1953
Gender
Gender distribution for Rein
Rein is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 260 total registrations, 151 (58.1%) were male and 109 (41.9%) were female.
Rein as a male name
- Ranked #6,383 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (14 births)
Rein as a female name
- Ranked #7,560 in 2023
- 15 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (15 births)
Popularity
Rein: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rein from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 102 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rein 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 Rein during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rein
The name Rein originates from the German language and has its roots in the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic word "reini," which means "pure" or "clean." The name was initially associated with purity, innocence, and virtue.
In the Middle Ages, the name Rein was particularly popular in German-speaking regions, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was often given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be virtuous and upright individuals.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rein can be found in the Nibelungenlied, a famous German epic poem from the 13th century. In this work, Rein is mentioned as the name of a character, although details about his significance are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rein. One of the earliest was Rein von Hutten (1488-1523), a German knight and Reformer who fought alongside Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Rein Stuurman (1669-1719), a Dutch maritime explorer who led several expeditions to the East Indies.
In the 19th century, Rein Theodor Rein (1838-1919) was a German botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research in Japan and contributed to the understanding of the country's flora. Rein Darniet (1867-1945), a Dutch painter, was also a notable figure during this period, known for his landscapes and cityscapes.
The 20th century saw the rise of Rein Adelskold (1911-1995), a Swedish author and playwright who wrote several acclaimed works, including the novel "The Seventh Seal," which was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film by Ingmar Bergman.
Despite its German origins, the name Rein has been adopted and used in various cultures and languages over time, though its meaning and associations with purity and virtue have remained consistent.
People
Rein + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rein 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
Rein: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rein?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 256 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rein 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 1,338,884 US residents.
Is Rein a common name?
We classify Rein as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 260 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rein most popular?
The single biggest year for Rein was 2023, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rein is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rein a male name?
Yes, 58.1% of people registered as Rein 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.