Fun Facts About the Name Reata
- 161 babies named Reata: U.S. records list 161 babies given the name Reata from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Reata Mean?
Reata is a rare given name taken from the Spanish noun reata, meaning a rope or lariat - the long line used to tether, lead, or herd livestock. The Spanish word comes from the verb reatar, "to tie again" or "to tie up," formed from the prefix re- plus atar, "to tie." Atar traces back to Latin aptare, "to fit" or "to adapt." The literal sense describes a piece of gear that binds or ties, not a quality of a person. In Spanish the noun can also mean a string of horses or mules tied one behind another; English lariat is a borrowing of Spanish la reata, "the rope." The name is not related to Rita, a short form of Margarita.
Reata Name History & Origins
Reata entered English through the ranch country of the American Southwest, where the word named both the rope that held and linked animals and the string of animals led one behind another. Because it came into English as a working term of the range, it circulated first as a common noun of cattle-country speech rather than as a personal name. Its use as a given name is uncommon and mainly American, with the strongest associations in Texas and the Southwest.
The word's best-known appearance in American writing is as a place name: in Edna Ferber's novel Giant (1952) and its 1956 film version, Reata is the Benedict family's enormous cattle ranch. That is a well-known literary use of the ranch term, not its earliest appearance and not the source of the given name. As a personal name, Reata has no saint, royal, or biblical tradition behind it; its history rests on the Spanish noun that describes a rope.
How Popular is the Name Reata?
Reata has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2013. Its best rank was #3,374 in 1937.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,546 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #14,852 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #9,527 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #10,954 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #11,900 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #11,188 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #9,039 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #10,543 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #8,303 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #8,841 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #10,770 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #8,485 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #18,949 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #19,569 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #17,020 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #19,856 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #5,871 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1937 | #3,374 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1933 | #4,730 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Reata Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Reata's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Reata's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.