Rhemi
A name of Greek origin meaning "a flowing stream or river".
Name Census estimates that about 224 living Americans carry the first name Rhemi. It is a predominantly female name (92.9% of registrations). The average person named Rhemi today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhemi births was 2016 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhemi. 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
224
~ 1 in 1,530,153 Americans
Peak year
2016
26 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2021 SSA rank
#8,823
Tracked since 2009
Gender
Gender distribution for Rhemi
Rhemi leans heavily female at 92.9% of total registrations, but 16 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rhemi as a male name
- Ranked #13,663 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2020 (6 births)
Rhemi as a female name
- Ranked #8,823 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (26 births)
Popularity
Rhemi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhemi from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 129 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rhemi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rhemi 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 Rhemi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rhemis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhemi
The name Rhemi is believed to have originated from the ancient Greek language, with its roots traced back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "rhembus," which means "wanderer" or "one who roams." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who led a nomadic or adventurous lifestyle.
In ancient Greek mythology, there are references to a figure named Rhemos, who was a Thracian king and an ally of the Trojans during the legendary Trojan War. However, the connection between this mythological figure and the name Rhemi is not entirely clear.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhemi can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentioned a person named Rhemius, who was a soothsayer or prophet in the court of King Priam of Troy.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rhemi. One of the most famous was Rhemi of Auxerre (c. 437 - c. 533 AD), who was a Frankish saint and the first Bishop of Auxerre in modern-day France. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and is known for his missionary work and efforts in converting pagans to Christianity.
Another prominent figure was Rhemi of Reims (c. 437 - c. 533 AD), who was the Archbishop of Reims and played a significant role in the baptism of Clovis I, the first King of the Franks. His influence helped establish Christianity as the dominant religion in the Frankish Kingdom.
In the 9th century, there was a scholar and writer named Rhemi of Auxerre (c. 841 - c. 908 AD), who was a renowned teacher and commentator on the works of various ancient authors, including Virgil and Priscian.
During the Renaissance period, Rhemi Belleau (c. 1528 - 1577) was a French poet and member of the famous Pléiade group, which sought to elevate the French language and literature to the level of classical Greek and Latin works.
Lastly, in the 18th century, there was a French Jesuit missionary named Rhemi de la Naudière (1701 - 1770), who spent several years in North America and is known for his efforts in converting Native Americans to Christianity and establishing missions in the region.
People
Rhemi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhemi 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
Rhemi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhemi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 224 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhemi 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 1,530,153 US residents.
Is Rhemi a common name?
We classify Rhemi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 225 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhemi most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhemi was 2016, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhemi is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhemi a female name?
Yes, 92.9% of people registered as Rhemi 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.