NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Reis

A Persian name meaning "leader", "chief", or "guide".

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.

Reis is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Reis popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 17 births.

This profile covers 285 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 82% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 289 living people in the UK are called Reis. 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

  • Reis ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 17 boys were registered as Reis.
  • Reis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #490 in 2004.
  • About 289 living people in the UK are estimated to have Reis as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1758

2024

Births in 2024

14

Latest year

Peak year

1997

17 births

Estimated living

289

2026

Meaning

What does Reis mean?

The name Reis has its origins in the Portuguese language and likely dates back to the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "rei," meaning "king." This name may have originally been used as a title or descriptor for someone who held a position of authority or power, similar to a king or ruler.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Reis can be found in the 14th-century Portuguese epic poem "Os Lusíadas" by Luís Vaz de Camões. In this work, the name appears as a character or reference to a person of significance.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Reis. One of the most famous was Reis Efendiev, an Azerbaijani composer and conductor who lived from 1915 to 1997. His contributions to the development of Azerbaijani classical music were significant, and he is regarded as one of the most influential cultural figures in the country's history.

Another prominent figure with the name Reis was Reis Leming, an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1923. He was a pitcher for several teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics.

In the realm of literature, Reis Paternò was an Italian writer and poet who lived from 1867 to 1950. He was known for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience.

Reis Vellinho was a Brazilian writer and journalist who lived from 1933 to 2015. He was a prolific author and a prominent figure in the literary circles of Brazil, known for his novels, short stories, and essays.

Lastly, Reis Pinto was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who lived in the 16th century. He was involved in several expeditions to the Indian Ocean and the East Indies, contributing to the expansion of Portuguese maritime exploration and trade during that era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Reis over time

The chart below shows babies named Reis registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Reis, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 17 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Reis
0491317199620102024

Decades

Reis by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Reis 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 #2297 50 5
2010s #2175 104 10
2000s #1979 88 10
1990s #1301 43 4

Geography

Where Reis is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Reis. 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.

Reis ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #490 in 2004.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Reis in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#490 in 2004

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Related

Names similar to Reis

FAQ

Reis: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Reis was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.

When was Reis most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 17 babies registered as Reis in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Reis?

A Persian name meaning "leader", "chief", or "guide".

How many people are called Reis in the UK?

A total of 285 babies have been registered as Reis across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Reis most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Reis ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #490 in 2004. 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.