Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
Rea is a variant of Rhea. An origin associated with Rhea is Greek.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1892. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Rea is a variant of Rhea. The history of Rhea gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Rhea is associated with the wife of Cronus and mother of gods and goddesses.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Rea through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,063
- 190 boys · 1,873 girls
- Most popular year
- 1958
- 34 babies
- 2025
- 24
- #5,363 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +21%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 24 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,363 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 20.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 29 in 1958. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,718 as a first name in 2020; 14,490 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rea’s family of names
In Italian usage, Rea shares a linguistic root with the Norwegian Bokmål form Rhea. In English usage, Rea as a surname has a related form in Ree. Rea has a related form in Rhea.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Rea
- Rea StarkEntrepreneur / Industrial Designerborn 1938
- Rea MauranenFinnish actressborn 1949
- Rea MészárosHungarian handball playerborn 1994
- Rea Lest-LiikEstonian actress (born 1990)
- Rhea GalanakiGreek writerborn 1947
- Rea IrvinAmerican cartoonist, illustrator, art editor (1881–1972)
- Rea TajiriAmerican filmmaker (born 1958)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rea, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Brigitte
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