Total births
9,696
Unisex name · since 1915
Rey
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 9,696 babies named Rey, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #822
- among boys today
- 9,696
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Rey is the #822 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 9,696 recorded since 1915.
Rey has 9,696 recorded births among boys since 1915, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #822 as of the latest data, more common than 94% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #822 among boys today
- 9,696 born since 1915
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rey is currently the #822 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 9,696 born since 1915, peaking in the 2010s.
- #822
- among boys today
- 9,696
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Rey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#822
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Rey was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
328 babies were named Rey in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Rey compares
9,696 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Rey's all-time total is 26x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,696 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 328 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rey splits its recorded history at 1971: 88% of all births land in the more recent half, 12% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2021 peak of 328 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rey at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2021
Current rank
#822
Active since
1915
Rey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 328
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Rey popularity over time - girls
526 total births recorded since 2016 (Rey as girls' name)
Rey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Rey's strongest decade.
2,563 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Rey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 27
1910s
27 births
- 1920s 82
1920s
82 births
- 1930s 95
1930s
95 births
- 1940s 134
1940s
134 births
- 1950s 297
1950s
297 births
- 1960s 441
1960s
441 births
- 1970s 506
1970s
506 births
- 1980s 659
1980s
659 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,148 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,955 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,563 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,789 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,563 births (26% of all-time use).
How Rey 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 Rey's total volume
Rey vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rey by state
Where Rey concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,444 | 25.2% |
| #2 | California | | 2,394 | 24.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 480 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 476 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 374 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 328 | 3.4% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 143 | 1.5% |
| #8 | Washington | | 96 | 1.0% |
Texas share of Rey's total US births 25.2%
Even split
2,444 of 9,696 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Rey appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rey? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 9,696 babies named Rey. Today it holds rank #822 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2021, with 328 births.
When was Rey most popular? ▼
Rey was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,563 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Rey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rey are Texas (2,444 births), California (2,394 births), New York (480 births).
Is Rey a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Rey is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 9,696 births, and as a girl's name it has 526 births.
How long has the name Rey been used? ▼
Rey has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 111 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Reynaldo, Reyes, Reynold, Reymundo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rey's data
- Rey's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,563 total births) through the 2020s (1,789) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Reys (2,444 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Rey
Nearby Names Like Rey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rey
Reynaldo Boy
#1781 20,552 births
Reyes Boy
#3531 5,979 births
Reynold Boy
#10980 4,672 births
Reymundo Boy
#3994 4,311 births
Reyansh Boy
#1446 3,088 births
Compare Rey side by side: Rey vs Reynaldo Rey vs Reyes Rey vs Reynold
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rey
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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rey: #822 Unisex Name - 9,696 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rey. 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 Rey 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.