Total births
60,449
Boys' name · since 1880
Rex
60,449 babies named Rex in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1951. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #785
- among boys today
- 60,449
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
60,449 babies have been named Rex since 1880, making it today's #785 boys' name.
Rex has 60,449 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #785 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #785 among boys today
- 60,449 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rex is currently the #785 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 60,449 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #785
- among boys today
- 60,449
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Rex vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#785
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Rex was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
1,503 babies were named Rex in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Rex compares
60,449 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Rex's all-time total is 165x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rex | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 60,449 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,503 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rex's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rex's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 56% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 44%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 7 births recorded -- set against the 1951 peak of 1,503, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rex at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1951
Current rank
#785
Active since
1880
Rex popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 1,503
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rex popularity over time - girls
141 total births recorded since 1921 (Rex as girls' name)
Rex by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Rex's strongest decade.
13,499 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Rex births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 183
1880s
183 births
- 1890s 305
1890s
305 births
- 1900s 497
1900s
497 births
- 1910s 3,253
1910s
3,253 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,627 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,949 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,671 births
- 1950s
1950s
13,499 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,735 births
- 1970s 3,359
1970s
3,359 births
- 1980s 2,532
1980s
2,532 births
- 1990s 1,740
1990s
1,740 births
- 2000s 2,048
2000s
2,048 births
- 2010s 3,945
2010s
3,945 births
- 2020s 2,106
2020s
2,106 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 13,499 births (22% of all-time use).
How Rex compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Rex's total volume
Rex vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rex by state
Where Rex concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,513 | 7.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,445 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Indiana | | 3,935 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 3,215 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,887 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 2,484 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 2,178 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Kansas | | 2,022 | 3.3% |
California share of Rex's total US births 7.5%
Even split
4,513 of 60,449 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Rex appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rex? ▼
60,449 babies have been named Rex since 1880. It currently ranks #785 among boys. The peak year was 1951 with 1,503 births.
When was Rex most popular? ▼
Rex was most popular in the 1950s decade with 13,499 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Rex most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rex are California (4,513 births), Texas (4,445 births), Indiana (3,935 births).
How long has the name Rex been used? ▼
Rex has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rex? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rexford, Rexton, Rexx, Rexie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rex's data
- Rex's decade-level peak was the 1950s (13,499 total births); usage has since declined to 2,106 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rexs (4,513 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rex
Nearby Names Like Rex
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rex
Rexford Boy
#5075 2,648 births
Rexton Boy
#3861 663 births
Rexx Boy
#9649 76 births
Rexie Boy
32 births
Rextyn Boy
#12075 25 births
Compare Rex side by side: Rex vs Rexford Rex vs Rexton Rex vs Rexx
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rex
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rex: #785 Boys' Name - 60,449 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rex. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rex draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.