Rae
Rae was given to 171 girls in 2025, #1,306 among girls’ names; 24,420 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 14,600 Americans named Rae and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (60% of everyone recorded); the median is 57 years old and half are between 32 and 71.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Rae by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Rae mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Rae is “a diminutive of the female given name Rachel, also used as a formal given name, mostly as a middle name.”
/ɹeɪ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Rae?
#1,306 among girls’ names, 2025
Rae rose from #2,055 in 2015 to #1,306 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.05 to 0.11 per 1,000.
412 babies in 1956, the peak
Rae peaked in 1956, when 412 babies were given it (406 girls, #454 among girls’ names). The 176 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 43% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 171 | #1,306 | 0.11 |
| 2024 | 184 | #1,267 | 0.11 |
| 2023 | 199 | #1,204 | 0.12 |
| 2022 | 207 | #1,170 | 0.13 |
| 2021 | 241 | #1,048 | 0.15 |
| 2020 | 233 | #1,065 | 0.14 |
| 2019 | 200 | #1,179 | 0.12 |
| 2018 | 218 | #1,126 | 0.13 |
| 2017 | 159 | #1,434 | 0.09 |
| 2016 | 194 | #1,262 | 0.11 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 96 | #2,055 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 89 | #2,151 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 71 | #2,526 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 84 | #2,260 | 0.05 |
| 2011 | 60 | #2,895 | 0.03 |
| 2010 | 57 | #3,002 | 0.03 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2,925 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 63 | #2,849 | 0.03 |
| 2007 | 60 | #2,985 | 0.03 |
| 2006 | 69 | #2,624 | 0.04 |
| 2005 | 66 | #2,597 | 0.04 |
| 2004 | 58 | #2,799 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 48 | #3,113 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 54 | #2,808 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 74 | #2,204 | 0.04 |
| 2000 | 74 | #2,165 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 64 | #2,332 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 70 | #2,095 | 0.04 |
| 1997 | 75 | #1,938 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 84 | #1,775 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 105 | #1,501 | 0.06 |
| 1994 | 105 | #1,499 | 0.06 |
| 1993 | 94 | #1,620 | 0.05 |
| 1992 | 99 | #1,567 | 0.05 |
| 1991 | 101 | #1,539 | 0.05 |
| 1990 | 124 | #1,310 | 0.07 |
| 1989 | 123 | #1,281 | 0.07 |
| 1988 | 121 | #1,236 | 0.07 |
| 1987 | 115 | #1,238 | 0.07 |
| 1986 | 95 | #1,364 | 0.06 |
| 1985 | 108 | #1,260 | 0.06 |
| 1984 | 101 | #1,265 | 0.06 |
| 1983 | 133 | #1,047 | 0.08 |
| 1982 | 157 | #948 | 0.09 |
| 1981 | 150 | #980 | 0.09 |
| 1980 | 147 | #1,001 | 0.09 |
| 1979 | 177 | #872 | 0.11 |
| 1978 | 167 | #879 | 0.11 |
| 1977 | 129 | #1,033 | 0.08 |
| 1976 | 131 | #975 | 0.09 |
| 1975 | 157 | #854 | 0.11 |
| 1974 | 173 | #790 | 0.12 |
| 1973 | 175 | #771 | 0.12 |
| 1972 | 213 | #690 | 0.14 |
| 1971 | 244 | #657 | 0.15 |
| 1970 | 282 | #615 | 0.16 |
| 1969 | 269 | #611 | 0.16 |
| 1968 | 293 | #560 | 0.18 |
| 1967 | 327 | #521 | 0.20 |
| 1966 | 218 | #654 | 0.13 |
| 1965 | 314 | #537 | 0.18 |
| 1964 | 307 | #562 | 0.16 |
| 1963 | 308 | #554 | 0.16 |
| 1962 | 339 | #532 | 0.17 |
| 1961 | 273 | #615 | 0.14 |
| 1960 | 247 | #643 | 0.12 |
| 1959 | 290 | #579 | 0.14 |
| 1958 | 324 | #540 | 0.16 |
| 1957 | 393 | #478 | 0.19 |
| 1956 | 406 | #454 | 0.20 |
| 1955 | 367 | #474 | 0.19 |
| 1954 | 370 | #459 | 0.19 |
| 1953 | 340 | #458 | 0.18 |
| 1952 | 309 | #476 | 0.17 |
| 1951 | 341 | #448 | 0.19 |
| 1950 | 316 | #455 | 0.18 |
| 1949 | 308 | #456 | 0.18 |
| 1948 | 311 | #454 | 0.18 |
| 1947 | 350 | #438 | 0.20 |
| 1946 | 260 | #486 | 0.17 |
| 1945 | 252 | #450 | 0.19 |
| 1944 | 220 | #483 | 0.17 |
| 1943 | 283 | #442 | 0.20 |
| 1942 | 278 | #437 | 0.21 |
| 1941 | 201 | #491 | 0.17 |
| 1940 | 197 | #487 | 0.17 |
| 1939 | 193 | #483 | 0.18 |
| 1938 | 184 | #491 | 0.17 |
| 1937 | 191 | #474 | 0.18 |
| 1936 | 213 | #444 | 0.20 |
| 1935 | 249 | #414 | 0.24 |
| 1934 | 221 | #438 | 0.21 |
| 1933 | 270 | #395 | 0.27 |
| 1932 | 205 | #458 | 0.19 |
| 1931 | 203 | #452 | 0.19 |
| 1930 | 167 | #525 | 0.15 |
| 1929 | 178 | #507 | 0.16 |
| 1928 | 193 | #499 | 0.17 |
| 1927 | 183 | #521 | 0.15 |
| 1926 | 155 | #572 | 0.13 |
| 1925 | 223 | #462 | 0.18 |
| 1924 | 190 | #519 | 0.15 |
| 1923 | 176 | #542 | 0.15 |
| 1922 | 177 | #531 | 0.15 |
| 1921 | 200 | #494 | 0.16 |
| 1920 | 198 | #490 | 0.17 |
| 1919 | 213 | #455 | 0.19 |
| 1918 | 231 | #436 | 0.20 |
| 1917 | 229 | #421 | 0.21 |
| 1916 | 199 | #450 | 0.19 |
| 1915 | 215 | #408 | 0.22 |
| 1914 | 202 | #376 | 0.27 |
| 1913 | 130 | #435 | 0.21 |
| 1912 | 127 | #412 | 0.23 |
| 1911 | 105 | #395 | 0.25 |
| 1910 | 87 | #425 | 0.22 |
| 1909 | 84 | #400 | 0.24 |
| 1908 | 81 | #407 | 0.24 |
| 1907 | 73 | #416 | 0.23 |
| 1906 | 64 | #432 | 0.22 |
| 1905 | 59 | #441 | 0.20 |
| 1904 | 73 | #391 | 0.27 |
| 1903 | 76 | #369 | 0.29 |
| 1902 | 64 | #389 | 0.24 |
| 1901 | 57 | #390 | 0.24 |
| 1900 | 68 | #406 | 0.23 |
| 1899 | 66 | #359 | 0.28 |
| 1898 | 61 | #394 | 0.24 |
| 1897 | 67 | #360 | 0.29 |
| 1896 | 63 | #368 | 0.26 |
| 1895 | 81 | #321 | 0.35 |
| 1894 | 73 | #327 | 0.33 |
| 1893 | 71 | #321 | 0.33 |
| 1892 | 76 | #313 | 0.36 |
| 1891 | 62 | #321 | 0.33 |
| 1890 | 53 | #353 | 0.28 |
| 1889 | 44 | #367 | 0.25 |
| 1888 | 49 | #346 | 0.27 |
| 1887 | 38 | #353 | 0.26 |
| 1886 | 34 | #370 | 0.24 |
| 1885 | 17 | #537 | 0.13 |
| 1884 | 23 | #423 | 0.18 |
| 1883 | 23 | #392 | 0.20 |
| 1882 | 17 | #455 | 0.16 |
| 1881 | 7 | #731 | 0.08 |
| 1880 | 10 | #573 | 0.11 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Rae a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 24,420 Americans recorded as Rae, 96% are girls and 4% boys. In 2025 it went to 171 girls and 5 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Rae: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Rae, and how old are they?
14,600 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 60% of the 24,420 Americans ever recorded as Rae. The median Rae alive today is 57 years old; half are between 32 and 71.
The 2020 Census counted 13,639 people named Rae (12,985 women and girls, 654 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 14,752 born in the U.S. The Census count is 8% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,240 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 4,890 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 3,200 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,810 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,080 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,330 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Rae born?
The states with the most babies named Rae are New York, California and Pennsylvania, with 37% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 2,269 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| California | 1,958 | #1,080 | 1.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,413 | #1,358 | 1.0× |
| Ohio | 1,195 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Illinois | 1,129 | #1,367 | 1.0× |
| Texas | 1,047 | #2,174 | 0.7× |
| Michigan | 683 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| New Jersey | 583 | #1,312 | 0.8× |
| Wisconsin | 478 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Indiana | 412 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where Rae is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Rae is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 1.8 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Rae with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 37,065 babies since 1880, Rae is the most given (66% of them). In 2025 it was given to 176 of their 1,264 babies (14%), the second most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Rae
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Rae and names like it
- Compare Rae and RayaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sRae peaked in 1956.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Rae since 1910.
- The top names of 1956The year the most babies were named Rae.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Rae alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with RMost given first.