Rui

Rui - A very unique male name

Rui appeared on the charts for the first time in 1971 on position #1477. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Rui and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Rui? 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 Rui. The baby boy name Rui was given to 13 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2877 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 112,791 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Rui peaked in popularity 51 years ago in 1975 on position 1393.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Rui, 1-5?

Rui is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Rui is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #1,418 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,418.

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 Rui is where you live.

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Rui origin and meaning

Portuguese (uncertain) and East Asian (separate)

Uncertain — Portuguese Rui is a medieval form related to Rodrigo, from Germanic 'famous ruler'; the same spelling is also a Chinese and Japanese name with meanings that depend on the characters, so US use has more than one source

Rui has been in US data since 1971, with its best year in 2024. In Portugal it is a classic short name; in Chinese and Japanese families it is a different name entirely, chosen character by character.

Origin uncertain

Rui is a 3 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Rui

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

Roy / Ray / Rory / Rey / Rio / Ryu / 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 Rui

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 Rui 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 Rui?

2 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

ROO-ee · /ˈruːi/
Portuguese Rui is close to one syllable, 'roo-EE' with a glide; Chinese and Japanese pronunciations differ by tone and character.

Around the world

• Rui (Portuguese) — The standard Portuguese name
• Rui (Japanese) — A Japanese given name, meaning set by the characters used
• Rui (Chinese) — A Chinese given name, meaning set by the characters used

Spellings and nicknames

• Ruy — Older Iberian spelling also in US data

Famous bearers

• Rui Costa — Portuguese footballer, a star midfielder for Benfica, Fiorentina and Milan (b. 1972) Contemporary
• Rui Hachimura — Japanese basketball player in the NBA (b. 1998) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

A very short international name at its highest US use yet; which Rui a child is named for — Portuguese, Japanese or Chinese — depends entirely on the family.

Worth knowing

• Meanings differ completely by language and character
• English speakers may say 'roo-AY' or read it as an initialism