Fun Facts About the Name Reis
- 933 babies named Reis: U.S. records list 933 babies given the name Reis from 1880 through 2025. Even 121 girls received the name Reis - about 1 girl for every 7 boys.
What Does the Name Reis Mean?
Reis has several independent origins rather than a single root. In Portuguese, it is the plural of rei, "king," which comes from Latin rex, genitive regis; the literal meaning is "kings."
In Turkish and Arabic, reis derives from Arabic raʾīs, "head, chief, leader," and means "captain" or "chief." It works as a title for a ship's captain or for a person in charge of an office or group.
Two further surnames are spelled Reis but come from ordinary words: Dutch reis, "journey" or "trip," and German Reis, "rice." Those are surname meanings - a traveler's nickname or a rice merchant's trade - and they are separate from the Portuguese and Arabic-Turkish origins.
Reis Name History & Origins
The Portuguese surname Reis grew out of the common noun rei ("king") and its plural form, and it was established as a family name by the late Middle Ages. Because Matthew's Gospel describes magi, or wise men, who came to Bethlehem, Portuguese tradition calls them the Reis Magos, and the surname is often associated with that feast of the Epiphany. The name became widespread in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese-speaking areas, usually as a surname and occasionally as a given name.
In the Ottoman world, reis was a title rather than a personal name. It was given to ship captains and to senior officials, and it appears in the names by which two famous figures are known: the cartographer and admiral Piri Reis (d. 1553) and the admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa, who was first known as Hızır Reis. Modern Turkish still uses reis for a boat's captain and informally for a boss, and the word formed part of reisicumhur, an older Turkish term for the president.
As a given name in English, Reis is rare and is mostly a transferred use of the surname. It is not the same name as Reese or the Welsh Rhys, although the spellings can look alike.
How Popular is the Name Reis?
Reis 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 2000. Its best rank was #2,214 in 2000.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #17,233 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #14,887 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #13,504 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #16,015 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #14,253 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #9,495 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #11,012 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #16,530 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #14,891 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #15,053 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #12,208 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #16,008 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #11,424 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #11,948 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #17,345 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #16,294 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #13,351 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,104 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,718 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #5,018 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #6,080 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #7,004 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #4,512 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #5,738 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #5,980 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #5,725 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #4,905 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #5,682 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #5,930 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #3,249 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2012 | #3,692 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2011 | #5,150 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #3,966 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #3,260 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2008 | #4,363 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #3,669 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2006 | #3,506 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2005 | #3,154 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2004 | #3,270 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2003 | #2,460 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,670 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2001 | #2,554 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2000 | #2,214 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 1999 | #3,014 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #2,589 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1997 | #5,574 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #4,560 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #5,054 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #4,248 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #5,279 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #4,800 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #9,301 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #6,095 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #4,394 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1986 | #5,797 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #6,228 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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 Reis 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 find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Reis's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Reis's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.