Rene
Masculine · “Reborn”
Rene is given to both — 50,940 boys and 21,839 girls since 1880. See Rene as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Rene is the French and Spanish René with the accent set aside — a name built from the Latin word for being born again, and used by Latin-speaking Christians long before it reached either language. It has been on the American record in an unbroken line since record-keeping began, never crowding a classroom, never disappearing either. Two syllables, ending in an open vowel that carries well when called across a yard.
How old is the name Rene?
Rene was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Rene alive today was born around 1978, making them about 47 years old. About 41,500 people named Rene are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rene most popular?
Rene peaked in 1969, reaching #256 nationally. Today it ranks #1091, 835 places below that high. See the whole 1969 chart.
Rene appears on these lists:
Where it comes from
From Renatus to Rene
The story of Rene
The name begins as the Latin Renatus, taken up by early Christians for whom rebirth meant baptism — a name given at the font rather than at birth. Latin Renatus became René in French and René in Spanish, and Renato in Italian and Portuguese, all keeping the same sense. It reached the United States by more than one road: French-speaking Canada and Louisiana on one side, and Mexico and Central America on the other, which is why the name sits strongest today in Texas, California and Arizona. The seventeenth-century philosopher René Descartes published in Latin under the older form, Renatus Cartesius, which shows the two spellings still living side by side that late.
Meaning
Reborn, born again
From the Latin Renatus, the past participle of renasci, 'to be born again'.
How the name formed
- Renatus
- René
- Rene
Related forms: René · René · Renato · Renato · Renatus · René
Pronouncing Rene
ruh-NAY
Spanish speakers say it closer to reh-NEH, with both vowels short and clear. Because the accent is dropped in the American spelling, some English speakers read it as REE-nee or REEN — worth deciding early which one you will correct people to.
Nicknames for Rene
High
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
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1970869 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #256reached in 1969
- Change vs 2022
- −16.2%197 in 2025, from 235
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.
Rene in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- René in French — same name
- René in Spanish — same name
- Renato in Italian — related form
- Renato in Portuguese — related form
- Renatus in Latin — same name
- René in Dutch — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, Arizona.
Renes among us
people named Rene are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 8,670 born in 2025 was named Rene
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Wilmer test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Rene's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Wilmer climbed just as high around 1915, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Wilmer's path sketches the road Rene is walking now.
Rene sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Rene is headed
Rene should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Rene beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Rene in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Short, four letters, and spelled the way people already expect from the French and Spanish forms — no invented letters to explain.
- Works unchanged in French, Spanish and Dutch, with Renato standing ready in Italian and Portuguese.
- A documented line straight back to Latin Renatus, with a meaning that is settled rather than argued over.
- On the American record continuously since counting began, without ever becoming a classroom crowd.
- Without the accent, Rene looks identical to Renee minus a letter, and Renée is the feminine French form. Expect a lifetime of people assuming the name belongs to a woman, and of forms adding an extra e.
- Three live pronunciations compete in English — ruh-NAY, reh-NEH and REE-nee — so introductions will often come with a correction attached.
- A child named Rene today will likely be the only one around, and will meet the name more often on adults of older generations than on classmates.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Rene to the vote.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Rene
Masculine · #1091 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Renes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 41,500 people named Rene are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rene in 2025?
- Rene ranks #1091 among US boy names in 2025, with 197 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Rene?
- About 1 in every 8,670 US boys born in 2025 was named Rene — 197 in all.
- Will my child share the name Rene with classmates?
- Rene will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Rene
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Simeon#1091 · Rodney#1091 · Gio#1091 · Kingsley#1095 · Ayman#1095 · Kit#1097 · Brendan#1097 · Turner#1097
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Rene? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Rene and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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