NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Reni

A feminine diminutive form of the name Renata or Renee.

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.

Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 11 girls.

Reni is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Reni popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3254, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 6 births.

This profile covers 20 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2010 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.

Reni is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 26 living people in the UK are called Reni. 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

  • Reni ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 6 boys were registered as Reni.
  • Reni ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
  • Reni is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 26 living people in the UK are estimated to have Reni as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 64.5% of Reni registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3254

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2024

6 births

Estimated living

26

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Reni

In England and Wales birth records, Reni has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 64.5% of registrations are for boys and 35.5% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

65% boys
35% girls
Boys20 (64.5%)Girls11 (35.5%)

Reni registered for boys

  • Ranked #3,254 in 2024
  • 6 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (6 births)

Reni registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,709 in 2023
  • 4 girls registered in 2023
  • Peak: 2016 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Reni mean?

The name Reni has its origins in the Sanskrit language and is derived from the word "Renu," which means "dust" or "particle." It is a unisex name commonly used in India and some parts of Nepal.

In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, the word "Renu" is often used to symbolize humility, simplicity, and the transient nature of life. The name Reni is believed to have been inspired by these philosophical concepts and was given to children to instill these values in them from an early age.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reni can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic dating back to the 8th century BCE. In the text, Reni is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great Kurukshetra war.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Reni. One such person was Reni Biswas (1892-1943), an Indian poet and writer who made significant contributions to Bengali literature. Another was Reni Chukwudebe (1910-1988), a Nigerian educator and women's rights activist who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Girl's Vocational Training Center in Onitsha.

In the realm of arts and culture, Reni Santoni (1939-2020) was an American actor best known for his roles in films like "Dirty Harry" and "Seinfeld." Reni Pitra (1954-2005) was an Indonesian singer and actress who achieved widespread popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the field of sports, Reni Margono (born 1964) is a former Indonesian badminton player who won numerous international titles, including the prestigious All England Open in 1990.

While the name Reni is not as common as some other Indian names, it has a rich cultural heritage and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Reni over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Reni in England and Wales, 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 Reni, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
02356201020172024

Decades

Reni by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Reni 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 #3701 14 3
2010s #4714 6 2

Geography

Where Reni is most common

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

Reni ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Reni in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#704 in 2018

2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Reni

  • Reni Eddo-Lodge

    journalist

    British journalist and author

    1989-

Related

Names similar to Reni

FAQ

Reni: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Reni was ranked #3254 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Reni most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 6 babies registered as Reni in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Reni?

A feminine diminutive form of the name Renata or Renee.

How many people are called Reni in the UK?

A total of 20 babies have been registered as Reni across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.

Where is Reni most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Reni ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. 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.