Unisex name ★ peaked 1962

Rene

Meaning A male given name from French Gender Unisex · 30% girls Rank 2025 #1,092 Trend → Stable

A male given name from French.

Rank 2025
#1,092
among boys · ↓101 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
210
named Rene · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 8,670
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1962
1,649 babies
All-time total
72,779
#506 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Rene popularity over time

72,779 babies have been named Rene since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 19 50 69 7 – #712
1890s 53 84 137 14 +99% #512
1900s 92 144 236 24 +72% #501
1910s 231 840 1,071 107 +354% #470
1920s 385 1,854 2,239 224 +109% #415
1930s 386 1,742 2,128 213 -5% #399
1940s 918 2,671 3,589 359 +69% #349
1950s 4,733 4,946 9,679 968 +170% #302
1960s 7,324 7,351 14,675 1,468 +52% #256
1970s 3,693 7,266 10,959 1,096 -25% #259
1980s 2,159 7,257 9,416 942 -14% #256
1990s 1,093 7,140 8,233 823 -13% #303
2000s 462 5,404 5,866 587 -29% #386
2010s 190 2,883 3,073 307 -48% #627
2020s (to 2025) 101 1,308 1,409 235 -24% #965

Where Rene is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 196 0.11 outside top 500
2027 195 0.11 outside top 500
2028 194 0.11 outside top 500
2029 193 0.11 outside top 500
2030 193 0.11 outside top 500

Where Rene is most popular

Boys named Rene per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.126 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, Texas, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Rene born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Arizona 75 0.458 +263%
Texas 336 0.381 +202%
California 259 0.283 +124%
Florida 67 0.142 +12%
Maryland 13 0.109 -14%
Nevada 5 0.088 -31%
Illinois 21 0.082 -35%
New York 35 0.081 -36%
Virginia 12 0.063 -50%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -55%
Louisiana 5 0.049 -61%
Tennessee 6 0.033 -74%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -84%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -85%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Ohio – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Rene

Rene is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,092 in 2025 with 197 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 72,779 American babies have been named Rene, about 70% boys and 30% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1962, when 1,649 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Rene stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rene?

The median living Rene is about 49 years old; half are between 32 and 62. An estimated 60 thousand people named Rene are alive in the United States today.

median 49 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Rene year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 13 #8,244 197 #1,092
2024 18 #6,596 227 #991
2023 20 #6,117 201 #1,078
2022 15 #7,569 235 #965
2021 15 #7,564 231 #967
2020 20 #6,036 217 #985
2019 13 #8,514 230 #940
2018 18 #6,734 226 #932
2017 16 #7,366 260 #850
2016 20 #6,367 246 #889
2015 19 #6,673 277 #820
2014 21 #6,166 287 #804
2013 23 #5,794 291 #772
2012 14 #8,539 315 #736
2011 29 #4,890 363 #649
2010 17 #7,442 388 #627
2009 21 #6,503 410 #615
2008 35 #4,434 464 #561
2007 29 #5,067 507 #517
2006 31 #4,662 524 #496
2005 48 #3,253 524 #479
2004 42 #3,555 573 #453
2003 44 #3,338 563 #445
2002 58 #2,666 586 #420
2001 65 #2,431 591 #420
2000 89 #1,920 662 #386
1995 97 #1,574 699 #351
1990 146 #1,179 838 #303
1985 192 #847 732 #280
1980 264 #669 675 #300
1975 325 #532 688 #279
1970 547 #414 869 #261
1965 635 #361 746 #273
1960 910 #311 710 #295
1955 465 #407 528 #322
1950 222 #558 389 #342
1945 68 #923 248 #378
1940 23 #1,675 168 #448
1935 33 #1,258 166 #443
1930 40 #1,193 182 #436
1925 35 #1,369 178 #452
1920 35 #1,345 141 #515
1915 22 #1,612 105 #547
1910 13 #1,323 29 #533
1905 9 #1,397 7 #1,069
1900 11 #1,214 10 #892
1895 11 #1,042 6 #1,059
1890 – – 5 #1,126
1885 5 #1,168 5 #1,069
1880 – – 5 #1,034

Famous people named Rene

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Renée Zellweger Renée Zellweger American actress (born 1969) Contemporary
  2. 2 Rene Russo Rene Russo American actress and model (born 1954) Contemporary
  3. 3 Renée Elise Goldsberry Renée Elise Goldsberry American actress (born 1971) Contemporary
  4. 4 Renée Taylor Renée Taylor American actress (born 1933) Contemporary
  5. 5 Renée Richards Renée Richards US tennis player and ophthalmologist (born 1934) Contemporary
  6. 6 Renée Fleming Renée Fleming American soprano b. 1959 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Renée Vivien Renée Vivien British poet who wrote in the French language 1877–1909 · 19th century
  8. 8 Renée of France Renée of France Duchess of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (1510–1574) 16th century
  9. 9 Renée Simonot Renée Simonot French actress and voice artist (1911–2021) Contemporary
  10. 10 Rene Liu Rene Liu Musical artist b. 1970 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Renée Adorée Renée Adorée French actress (1898–1933) 19th century
  12. 12 Rene Mandri Estonian road bicycle racer b. 1984 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Rene, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rene?

The median living Rene is about 49 years old. Half of all living Renes are between 32 and 62 years old.

How many people named Rene are alive today?

An estimated 60 thousand people named Rene are alive in the United States, based on 72,779 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rene mean?

A male given name from French.

How popular is the name Rene in 2025?

Rene ranked #1,092 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 197 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rene?

72,779 babies have been named Rene in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rene most popular?

Rene peaked in 1962, when 1,649 newborns received the name.

Is Rene a boy or girl name?

Rene is used for both: about 30% of babies named Rene have been girls and 70% boys.

Is the name Rene rising or falling?

Rene is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Rene become more popular?

Rene looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 193 boys named Rene in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Rene?

Well-known people named Rene include Renée Zellweger (actor), Rene Russo (actor), Renée Elise Goldsberry (actor).

Names like Rene

Names that sound and feel close to Rene: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Rene with similar names → More names starting with R →