Racine
Feminine · “From French racine”
Racine is overwhelmingly a girls’ name — 597 girls against 5 boys since 1880.
Racine is the French word for root, and it is a city on Lake Michigan named for a river. That city's Danish bakers made one flaky pastry so famous that Wisconsin made it official.
How old is the name Racine?
Racine first appears in US birth records in 1922 — 103 years ago. The typical Racine alive today was born around 1984, making them about 41 years old. About 500 people named Racine are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Racine most popular?
Racine peaked in 1985, reaching #1575 nationally. See the whole 1985 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Racine
French explorers called the river that meets Lake Michigan south of Milwaukee the Racine, 'root', and the city built at its mouth took the name; the river itself is now the Root. Danish immigrants settled there and baked kringle, a large oval ring of buttery layered dough with a fruit or nut filling, and in 2013 Wisconsin named it the official state pastry.
Meaning
From French racine, 'root'
Racine is the French word for root, a surname in France and the name of a Wisconsin city.
Pronouncing Racine
ruh-SEEN
Two syllables with the stress on the second.
Nicknames for Racine
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1922
- Most girls named
- 198576 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1575reached in 1985
- Change vs 2004
- 0.0%5 in 2005, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Racine in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Racine in French — same name
Racines among us
people named Racine are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Racine sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A real word with a clear meaning.
- Rare, so a Racine is unlikely to share her name.
- Elegant and easy to say.
- Many people will think of the Wisconsin city.
- Some will say RAY-seen.
- The spelling is recorded for a few boys, but nearly every Racine is a girl.
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What they receive
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Racine
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Racines are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Racine are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Racine in 2025?
- Racine is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Racine with classmates?
- Racine will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Ruth#173 · Rebecca#349 · Rachel#250 · Rose#114 · Ruby#64 · Robin#704 · Rita#1285 · Rhonda#6116
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Racine? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Racine and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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