Given name & surname
Rei
“one who strives to uphold the law”
Rei is used as a given name and a surname. One Japanese interpretation is “one who strives to uphold the law.”
Original Japanese岺易
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Japanese interpretation is “one who strives to uphold the law.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Japanese.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1974. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rei through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,028
- 478 boys · 550 girls
- Most popular year
- 2019
- 67 babies
- 2025
- 59
- #3,363 for boys · #5,364 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 35 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,363 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 23.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 24 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,255 as a first name in 2020; 451 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.
Rei’s family of names
Rei has a related form in Reiko. In Japanese usage, Rei is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 令. In Japanese usage, Rei is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 岺易.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 10
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
- 岺易original script · Japanese
- 怜original script · Japanese
- 麗original script · Japanese
- 鈴original script · Japanese
- 令original script · Japanese
- 零original script · Japanese
- 澪original script · Japanese
- Reylikely spelling
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Rei
- Rei HiguchiJapanese wrestler (born 1996)
- Rei KawakuboJapanese fashion designer, business woman (1942-)
- Heather DonahueAmerican actress and writerborn 1974
- Rei SakumaJapanese voice actressborn 1965
- ReiJapanese rapper and singer (born 2004)
- Rei NishiyamaJapanese softball playerborn 1984
- Rei MatsuzakiJapanese voice actressborn 1985
- Rei DanJapanese actressborn 1971
- Rei NakanishiJapanese lyricist, composer, writer, music producer (1938-2020)
Characters named Rei: Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Sailor Mars (Sailor Moon).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rei, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Reign
Reign is a masculine given name.
33% boys · 67% girls
Rumi
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Rayen
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40% boys · 60% girls
Aiman
45% boys · 55% girls
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“a brood of birds”
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Aoi
Aoi is a feminine given name from Japanese. It is used in English and French.
32% boys · 68% girls