Given name & surname
Rex
“a king”
Rex is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “a king.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “a king.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
The name draws on Latin rex, meaning “king”.
The story
Its use as a given name appears to be a 19th-century innovation.
Rex through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 60,590
- 60,449 boys · 141 girls
- Most popular year
- 1952
- 1,505 babies
- 2025
- 281
- #859 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 281 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 859 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 16.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,503 in 1951. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (40). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 36,166 as a first name in 2020; 5,532 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.
Rex’s family of names
In English usage, Rex shares an earlier linguistic root with Roy. Rex has a related form in Recks. Rex has a related form in Reks.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Rex
- Rex Tillerson69th United States Secretary of Stateborn 1952
- Rex StoutAmerican writer (1886-1975)
- Rex LinnAmerican actorborn 1956
- Rex J. WalheimAmerican astronautborn 1962
- Rex BrownAmerican bassistborn 1964
- Rex IngramIrish film director (1892–1950)
- Rex CawleyAmerican hurdler (1940–2022)
- Rex AllenAmerican film actor, singer and songwriter (1920–1999)
- Rex HartwigAustralian tennis player (1929–2022)
Characters named Rex: Metamorpho (DC Comics character), Captain Rex (Clone Captain of the 501st Legion from Star Wars), Rex Van de Kamp (fictional character), Mr. A (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rex, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sargão
“the true King”
>99% boys
Sabarís
“Suebi” · “king”
—
Salveregina
“hail, queen”
—
Theoderic
“people” · “king”
>99% boys
Roger
“fame-spear”
>99% boys
Rene
“the king's advisor” · “one who has been reborn”
93% boys · 7% girls
Sabariz
“Suebi” · “king”
—
Ronnie
“song of Joy” · “displaying her true image”
76% boys · 24% girls