Name
Rex
Meaning
Rex is a masculine name of Latin origin meaning “king”.
Rex is the Latin word for king, adopted as an English given name in the nineteenth century. Its blunt single syllable reads as both regal and slightly rakish, an image actor Rex Harrison polished in My Fair Lady; its dinosaur and dog associations only add to its swagger.
A modest but durable US choice, back in the top 600 in the 2020s.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #859 in 2025 · peak #488 in 1980
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
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Questions
Rex is a masculine name of Latin origin meaning “king”. Rex is the Latin word for king, adopted as an English given name in the nineteenth century.
Rex is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. It is a modest but durable US choice, back in the top 600 in the 2020s.
The name Rex comes from Latin. Rex is the Latin word for king, adopted as an English given name in the nineteenth century. Its blunt single syllable reads as both regal and slightly rakish, an image actor Rex Harrison polished in My Fair Lady; its dinosaur and dog associations only add to its swagger.
Rex is pronounced REKS.
More names that mean royalty
Names that share this meaning.