Reyson
A name of Celtic origin meaning "little king" or "noble hawk".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Reyson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Reyson today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reyson births was 2021 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reyson. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Reyson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2021
5 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,661
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Reyson: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Reyson 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 Reyson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Reyson
The name Reyson is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia from around the 8th to the 13th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "reyr," meaning reed or cane, and the suffix "-son," which denotes "son of."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reyson can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of narratives that recount the lives and adventures of the Norse people during the Viking Age. In the Saga of the Greenlanders, written in the 13th century, there is a mention of a character named Reyson Thorvaldsson, who was a prominent farmer and explorer.
During the medieval period, the name Reyson was relatively uncommon but held significance among the Norse communities. It was often given to sons of those who lived near reed-filled marshlands or worked with reeds, suggesting a connection to the natural environment.
In the 16th century, a Norwegian sailor named Reyson Olafsson gained notoriety for his daring exploits on the high seas. He was known for his skill in navigating treacherous waters and his fearlessness in the face of adversity.
Another notable figure with the name Reyson was the Swedish artist Reyson Andersson, who lived from 1675 to 1742. He is remembered for his exquisite landscape paintings, which often featured scenes of reed-covered riverbanks and marshlands.
In the 19th century, a Danish author named Reyson Pedersen (1832-1907) gained acclaim for his novels and poems that celebrated the natural beauty of his homeland. His works often incorporated themes of resilience and the human connection to nature.
While the name Reyson is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold a rich historical significance, particularly in the Nordic countries where it originated. Its connection to the natural world and the resilience of the Norse people has made it a enduring name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Reyson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reyson 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
Reyson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reyson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reyson 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Reyson a common name?
We classify Reyson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reyson most popular?
The single biggest year for Reyson was 2021, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reyson is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Reyson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Reyson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reyson 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.
Is Reyson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Reyson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Reyson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Reyson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.