Reka
A Hungarian feminine name derived from the river name "Reka".
Name Census estimates that about 163 living Americans carry the first name Reka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reka today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reka births was 1991 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reka. 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
163
~ 1 in 2,102,787 Americans
Peak year
1991
13 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2009 SSA rank
#19,577
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Reka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reka from the 1880s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 47 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
Reka 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 Reka 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 Reka
The name Reka finds its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "reka," which means "line" or "streak." The name gained popularity in regions where Sanskrit was spoken and studied, particularly in parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reka can be found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th or 9th century BCE. In this ancient text, Reka is mentioned as the name of a minor character, although details about their role or significance are scarce.
In the realm of historical figures, the name Reka has been associated with several notable individuals throughout various periods. One such figure is Reka Kushan, a ruler of the Kushan Empire in the 2nd century CE. Reka Kushan is credited with expanding the empire's territories and promoting cultural and economic prosperity during her reign.
Another prominent individual bearing the name Reka was Reka Devi, a 16th-century queen consort of the Vijayanagar Empire in South India. Reka Devi was known for her philanthropic efforts and patronage of the arts, particularly in the field of architecture and temple construction.
In the realm of literature, the name Reka has been associated with the 19th-century Bengali poet Reka Chandra Dutta. Born in 1837, Reka Chandra Dutta was a notable figure in the Bengal Renaissance movement and contributed significantly to the development of modern Bengali poetry.
Moving into the 20th century, Reka Chakraborty was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1917 to 1998. She played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the traditional dance forms of Odissi and Chhau, and her contributions to the field of dance were widely recognized and celebrated.
It is worth noting that while the name Reka has its roots in Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture, it has been embraced and adopted in various forms across different regions and cultures over time. The name's meaning and significance may have evolved or been reinterpreted in different contexts, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and adaptation.
People
Reka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reka 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
Reka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 163 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reka 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 2,102,787 US residents.
Is Reka a common name?
We classify Reka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reka most popular?
The single biggest year for Reka was 1991, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reka is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reka 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.