Rey

Meaning of Rey

Rooted in the Latin rex and refined in Spanish into the three-letter jewel Rey, this name quite literally crowns its bearer as “king,” a meaning conveyed with poised brevity when pronounced “RAY.” Across the Spanish-speaking world—and in the Philippines, where centuries of Iberian influence left indelible linguistic traces—Rey functions both as an honorific and as a given name, enveloping the child in a mantle of understated authority. U.S. naming data confirm its quiet resilience: since World War I it has hovered in the mid-600s in popularity, with a mild uptick in the early 2020s that mirrors renewed cultural exposure. Linguists further observe a semantic bridge to the English homophone “Ray,” whose imagery of light endows the name with a secondary aura of brilliance. Modern media has added another layer: the Star Wars protagonist Rey, though female, has amplified the name’s visibility without displacing its traditional masculine core. Thus, Rey inhabits a rare linguistic precinct—simultaneously regal and minimalist, historically resonant yet current—a choice for parents who prefer their son’s sovereignty declared in a single syllable.

Pronunciation

Spanish

• Pronunced as RAY (/reɪ/)

Filipino

• Pronunced as REY (/reɪ/)

• Remy
• Ray
• Roy