NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Reeva

A feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "Raivata", meaning "illustrious" or "brilliant".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Reeva is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Reeva popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #315, with 137 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 172 births.

This profile covers 1,412 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2010 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,646 living people in the UK are called Reeva. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Reeva ranked #315 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 137 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 172 girls were registered as Reeva.
  • Reeva ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #230 in 2024.
  • About 1,646 living people in the UK are estimated to have Reeva as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#315

2024

Births in 2024

137

Latest year

Peak year

2021

172 births

Estimated living

1,646

2026

Meaning

What does Reeva mean?

The name Reeva is a relatively modern and uncommon name, with its origins and meaning shrouded in some mystery. It is believed to have originated in South Africa, potentially derived from the Afrikaans language or a blend of other African languages.

One theory suggests that Reeva may be a variation of the name Reva, which itself is derived from the Sanskrit word "revi," meaning "stream" or "river." This connection to natural elements and water could be a symbolic representation of the flow of life or purity.

Another possible origin is that Reeva is a combination of two words or roots from African languages, such as "ree" and "va," although the precise meanings of these components are uncertain. Some speculate that "ree" could be related to concepts like "journey" or "path," while "va" might signify "new" or "beginning."

Despite its relatively recent emergence, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Reeva. One of the most widely recognized was Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013), a South African model and reality TV personality who tragically lost her life in a high-profile incident.

Another individual with this name was Reeva Alec Lukin (1923-2008), a British woman who served as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during World War II, contributing to the efforts that helped decrypt German communications.

In the literary world, Reeva Brooks (1932-2003) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on topics ranging from travel to personal finance.

Reeva Aisha Alawa (born 1978) is a prominent Australian social entrepreneur and advocate for gender equality and education, known for her work in promoting empowerment and sustainable development initiatives.

Historically, there are few other well-known figures with the name Reeva, as its usage appears to be relatively recent and localized, primarily in certain regions of Africa and among communities with connections to those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Reeva over time

The chart below shows babies named Reeva registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2010 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Reeva, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 137 births in 2024, compared with 172 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Reeva
04386129172201020172024

Decades

Reeva by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Reeva was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #314 715 5
2010s #1671 697 9

Geography

Where Reeva is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Reeva. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Reeva ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #230 in 2024.

Scotland
16
Northern Ireland
4

Across the UK

Reeva in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#230 in 2024

12 years of NRS records, 165 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#337 in 2024

11 years of NISRA records, 76 total registered

Related

Names similar to Reeva

FAQ

Reeva: questions and answers

How popular is the name Reeva in the UK right now?

In 2024, Reeva was ranked #315 for girls in England and Wales, with 137 births registered.

When was Reeva most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 172 babies registered as Reeva in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Reeva?

A feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "Raivata", meaning "illustrious" or "brilliant".

How many people are called Reeva in the UK?

A total of 1,412 babies have been registered as Reeva across the 14 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 165 more in Scotland and 76 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Reeva most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Reeva ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #230 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.