Rex
Rex was given to 281 boys in 2025, #859 among boys’ names; 60,590 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 34,800 Americans named Rex and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (57% of everyone recorded); the median is 61 years old and half are between 31 and 71.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Rex by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Rex mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Rex is “a male given name from Latin coined in the nineteenth century from Latin rex “king,” rarely given today.” Its etymology gives the sense “king” (rēx).
From Latin rēx (“king”). Doublet of rajah and roy.
/ɹɛks/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Rex?
#859 among boys’ names, 2025
Rex fell from #680 in 2015 to #859 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 0.20 to 0.16 per 1,000.
1,505 babies in 1952, the peak
Rex peaked in 1952, when 1,505 babies were given it (1,498 boys, #174 among boys’ names). The 281 births of 2025 are 19% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 281 | #859 | 0.16 |
| 2024 | 320 | #787 | 0.19 |
| 2023 | 368 | #722 | 0.22 |
| 2022 | 380 | #697 | 0.22 |
| 2021 | 380 | #698 | 0.22 |
| 2020 | 377 | #683 | 0.22 |
| 2019 | 410 | #651 | 0.23 |
| 2018 | 421 | #631 | 0.23 |
| 2017 | 434 | #607 | 0.23 |
| 2016 | 423 | #633 | 0.22 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 374 | #680 | 0.20 |
| 2014 | 389 | #661 | 0.20 |
| 2013 | 391 | #630 | 0.21 |
| 2012 | 385 | #631 | 0.20 |
| 2011 | 386 | #618 | 0.20 |
| 2010 | 332 | #704 | 0.17 |
| 2009 | 303 | #756 | 0.15 |
| 2008 | 274 | #801 | 0.13 |
| 2007 | 236 | #875 | 0.11 |
| 2006 | 252 | #810 | 0.12 |
| 2005 | 237 | #808 | 0.12 |
| 2004 | 182 | #932 | 0.09 |
| 2003 | 182 | #915 | 0.09 |
| 2002 | 154 | #1,010 | 0.08 |
| 2001 | 116 | #1,182 | 0.06 |
| 2000 | 112 | #1,211 | 0.06 |
| 1999 | 137 | #1,015 | 0.07 |
| 1998 | 151 | #937 | 0.08 |
| 1997 | 152 | #903 | 0.08 |
| 1996 | 139 | #939 | 0.07 |
| 1995 | 157 | #866 | 0.08 |
| 1994 | 167 | #824 | 0.09 |
| 1993 | 178 | #793 | 0.09 |
| 1992 | 207 | #716 | 0.10 |
| 1991 | 220 | #680 | 0.11 |
| 1990 | 232 | #662 | 0.11 |
| 1989 | 224 | #667 | 0.11 |
| 1988 | 247 | #596 | 0.13 |
| 1987 | 231 | #600 | 0.12 |
| 1986 | 232 | #585 | 0.13 |
| 1985 | 261 | #545 | 0.14 |
| 1984 | 258 | #537 | 0.14 |
| 1983 | 246 | #533 | 0.14 |
| 1982 | 265 | #525 | 0.15 |
| 1981 | 268 | #517 | 0.15 |
| 1980 | 300 | #488 | 0.17 |
| 1979 | 260 | #525 | 0.15 |
| 1978 | 255 | #512 | 0.16 |
| 1977 | 291 | #473 | 0.18 |
| 1976 | 283 | #467 | 0.18 |
| 1975 | 296 | #469 | 0.19 |
| 1974 | 297 | #466 | 0.19 |
| 1973 | 324 | #434 | 0.21 |
| 1972 | 373 | #408 | 0.23 |
| 1971 | 473 | #370 | 0.27 |
| 1970 | 507 | #362 | 0.27 |
| 1969 | 478 | #362 | 0.27 |
| 1968 | 515 | #339 | 0.30 |
| 1967 | 581 | #306 | 0.33 |
| 1966 | 718 | #275 | 0.40 |
| 1965 | 787 | #264 | 0.42 |
| 1964 | 957 | #247 | 0.48 |
| 1963 | 983 | #245 | 0.48 |
| 1962 | 1,133 | #227 | 0.55 |
| 1961 | 1,269 | #219 | 0.60 |
| 1960 | 1,314 | #214 | 0.62 |
| 1959 | 1,283 | #216 | 0.60 |
| 1958 | 1,243 | #213 | 0.59 |
| 1957 | 1,326 | #203 | 0.61 |
| 1956 | 1,452 | #193 | 0.69 |
| 1955 | 1,400 | #191 | 0.68 |
| 1954 | 1,380 | #189 | 0.68 |
| 1953 | 1,345 | #188 | 0.68 |
| 1952 | 1,498 | #174 | 0.77 |
| 1951 | 1,503 | #170 | 0.80 |
| 1950 | 1,069 | #196 | 0.60 |
| 1949 | 959 | #207 | 0.54 |
| 1948 | 904 | #210 | 0.52 |
| 1947 | 846 | #220 | 0.46 |
| 1946 | 662 | #236 | 0.41 |
| 1945 | 486 | #269 | 0.36 |
| 1944 | 574 | #234 | 0.42 |
| 1943 | 614 | #235 | 0.43 |
| 1942 | 521 | #257 | 0.38 |
| 1941 | 558 | #231 | 0.45 |
| 1940 | 547 | #228 | 0.47 |
| 1939 | 564 | #216 | 0.51 |
| 1938 | 628 | #202 | 0.57 |
| 1937 | 601 | #203 | 0.56 |
| 1936 | 612 | #201 | 0.59 |
| 1935 | 647 | #198 | 0.62 |
| 1934 | 631 | #197 | 0.61 |
| 1933 | 626 | #194 | 0.63 |
| 1932 | 580 | #213 | 0.56 |
| 1931 | 520 | #227 | 0.50 |
| 1930 | 540 | #235 | 0.49 |
| 1929 | 492 | #252 | 0.46 |
| 1928 | 519 | #242 | 0.47 |
| 1927 | 518 | #251 | 0.46 |
| 1926 | 552 | #239 | 0.50 |
| 1925 | 553 | #238 | 0.50 |
| 1924 | 589 | #229 | 0.52 |
| 1923 | 584 | #225 | 0.53 |
| 1922 | 615 | #216 | 0.57 |
| 1921 | 591 | #226 | 0.54 |
| 1920 | 614 | #210 | 0.58 |
| 1919 | 523 | #232 | 0.53 |
| 1918 | 509 | #235 | 0.50 |
| 1917 | 471 | #230 | 0.51 |
| 1916 | 461 | #231 | 0.52 |
| 1915 | 401 | #243 | 0.47 |
| 1914 | 334 | #233 | 0.51 |
| 1913 | 243 | #242 | 0.47 |
| 1912 | 164 | #279 | 0.38 |
| 1911 | 82 | #294 | 0.36 |
| 1910 | 65 | #309 | 0.33 |
| 1909 | 68 | #273 | 0.41 |
| 1908 | 64 | #268 | 0.41 |
| 1907 | 48 | #309 | 0.33 |
| 1906 | 61 | #255 | 0.46 |
| 1905 | 46 | #298 | 0.35 |
| 1904 | 33 | #352 | 0.26 |
| 1903 | 43 | #291 | 0.36 |
| 1902 | 46 | #280 | 0.38 |
| 1901 | 29 | #346 | 0.27 |
| 1900 | 59 | #268 | 0.39 |
| 1899 | 29 | #335 | 0.27 |
| 1898 | 39 | #304 | 0.32 |
| 1897 | 31 | #337 | 0.27 |
| 1896 | 35 | #322 | 0.29 |
| 1895 | 34 | #314 | 0.29 |
| 1894 | 30 | #330 | 0.26 |
| 1893 | 25 | #366 | 0.22 |
| 1892 | 28 | #368 | 0.23 |
| 1891 | 24 | #358 | 0.24 |
| 1890 | 30 | #320 | 0.27 |
| 1889 | 23 | #377 | 0.21 |
| 1888 | 28 | #351 | 0.23 |
| 1887 | 28 | #319 | 0.28 |
| 1886 | 26 | #335 | 0.23 |
| 1885 | 17 | #456 | 0.16 |
| 1884 | 13 | #540 | 0.11 |
| 1883 | 15 | #476 | 0.14 |
| 1882 | 13 | #537 | 0.11 |
| 1881 | 7 | #767 | 0.07 |
| 1880 | 13 | #519 | 0.12 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Rex a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Rex has been given almost only to boys: 141 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Rex: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Rex, and how old are they?
34,800 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 57% of the 60,590 Americans ever recorded as Rex. The median Rex alive today is 61 years old; half are between 31 and 71.
The 2020 Census counted 36,166 people named Rex (106 women and girls, 36,060 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 36,810 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,980 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 15,100 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 5,870 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 3,350 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 3,540 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 4,910 |
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 Rex born?
The states with the most babies named Rex are California, Texas and Indiana, with 23% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Indiana is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4,513 | #695 | 0.9× |
| Texas | 4,445 | #929 | 1.1× |
| Indiana | 3,935 | #614 | 2.5× |
| Ohio | 3,215 | #995 | 1.1× |
| Michigan | 2,887 | #979 | 1.2× |
| Illinois | 2,484 | #996 | 0.8× |
| Missouri | 2,178 | #772 | 1.5× |
| Kansas | 2,022 | not ranked | 2.7× |
| Iowa | 2,013 | not ranked | 2.0× |
| North Carolina | 1,870 | #1,248 | 1.0× |
Where Rex is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Rex is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 3.6 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 boys’ 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 Rex 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 2 names spelled alike, given to 60,666 babies since 1880, Rex is the most given (100% of them). In 2025 it was given to 281 of their 286 babies (98%), again the most given.
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 Rex
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 Rex and names like it
- Compare Rex and RexxBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sRex peaked in 1952.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Rex since 1910.
- Coined namesWiktionary’s origin for Rex: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1952The year the most babies were named Rex.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Rex alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with RMost given first.