Rey

Rey - A very unique male name

Rey appeared on the charts for the first time in 1923 on position #1916. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rey and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rey? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Rey. The baby boy name Rey was given to 214 baby boys in 2025, ranking #913 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 6,852 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rey peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 756.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rey, 1-5?

Rey is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rey is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #458 - and is the least popular in Ohio at position #1,434.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Rey is where you live.

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Rey origin and meaning

Spanish

'King' — the Spanish word rey

Rey is the Spanish word for king, used as a given name in Spanish-speaking families and as a short form of names like Reynolds and Reynaldo in others. It has been in American data since 1923, peaked in 2021 — the Star Wars heroine Rey, though female and differently sourced, kept the sound in the air — and has since eased. As a boy's name here, the Spanish 'king' is the honest root.

Attested etymology

Rey is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Rey, pop culture references for the name Rey and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Rey

We've found the following names that sound similar to Rey, sorted by popularity.

Roy / Ray / Rory / Rio / Ryu / Rui / Ryo / Rye / Rei / Rai /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Rey

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Rey a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Rey?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

RAY · /reɪ/

Around the world

• Rey (Spanish) — Used as-is in Spanish

Spellings and nicknames

• Ray — The English name it sounds identical to — a separate name
• Reyes — The Spanish surname meaning 'kings', used as a given name

Famous bearers

• Rey Mysterio — Mexican-American professional wrestler, born Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio and famous under the ring name Rey Mysterio (b. 1974) Contemporary

Style

InternationalWord name

Why parents choose it

One syllable meaning 'king' — parents like the quiet confidence and the bilingual ease.

Worth knowing

• It is a homophone of Ray, and the Star Wars character makes many assume a girl.