Rey
A unisex name of Spanish origin meaning "king".
Name Census estimates that about 9,403 living Americans carry the first name Rey. It is a predominantly male name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Rey today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rey births was 2021 (394 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rey. 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
9.4K
~ 1 in 36,452 Americans
Peak year
2021
394 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#821
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Rey
Rey leans heavily male at 94.9% of total registrations, but 502 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rey as a male name
- Ranked #821 in 2024
- 303 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (328 births)
Rey as a female name
- Ranked #6,093 in 2024
- 20 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (85 births)
Popularity
Rey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rey from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 2,809 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rey remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rey 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 Rey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 29 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Rey, while Virginia, Oklahoma, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 248 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rey
The name Rey has its origins in the Spanish language and culture. It is a masculine name that is derived from the Spanish word "rey," which means "king." The name likely originated in medieval times, during the era of Spanish monarchies and royal dynasties.
In ancient Spanish texts and historical records, the name Rey was often used to refer to actual kings or rulers. It was a title of respect and authority, signifying the highest rank in the kingdom. As a given name, it likely emerged as a way to honor or commemorate a ruling monarch or to express a desire for the child to possess qualities associated with kingship, such as leadership, power, and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rey dates back to the 13th century, when a Spanish nobleman named Rey de Castilla was mentioned in chronicles from the reign of King Alfonso X. However, it is possible that the name was in use even earlier, as written records from that time period were often incomplete or lost.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rey. One of the most famous was Rey Pastor, a Spanish mathematician and educator who lived from 1888 to 1962. He made significant contributions to the fields of functional analysis and mathematical analysis, and was a professor at the University of Madrid.
Another prominent figure was Rey Manaj, an Albanian revolutionary and leader of the Kachak movement, which fought against Ottoman rule in the early 20th century. He was born in 1872 and played a crucial role in the struggle for Albanian independence.
In the realm of sports, Rey Mysterio is a well-known Mexican professional wrestler who has achieved great success in both WWE and lucha libre. Born in 1974, he is renowned for his high-flying style and has won numerous championships throughout his career.
Rey Pila was a Filipino boxer and world champion who competed in the 1920s and 1930s. Born in 1899, he held the World Flyweight title from 1923 to 1925 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.
Finally, Rey Negrón was a Puerto Rican actor and comedian who became a popular figure in Latin American television and films during the mid-20th century. Born in 1928, he was known for his comedic roles and his ability to bring laughter to audiences across various Spanish-speaking countries.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rey
People
Rey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rey 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
Rey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,403 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rey 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 36,452 US residents.
Is Rey a common name?
We classify Rey as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,933 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rey most popular?
The single biggest year for Rey was 2021, when 394 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rey is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rey a male name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Rey 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.