Rae
Girl name · #1299 in 2025 · Very rare
Rae ranks #1299 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 171 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2039, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,526 girls born in 2025 was named Rae.
The 145-year story
Rae first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 10 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1956, when 406 girls were named Rae — good for #453 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Rae per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rae against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rae in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rae is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Rae will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rae is most common
Geography matters for names, and Rae is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Rae is most common in CA (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Rae is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Rae
Statistically, parents drawn to Rae tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ronnie, Roslyn, Roxanne, Renee, and Rosalyn.
RonnieRoslynRoxanneReneeRosalynAltheaJanieLiz
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rae | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 171 | #1299 |
| 2024 | 184 | #1264 |
| 2023 | 199 | #1202 |
| 2022 | 207 | #1166 |
| 2021 | 241 | #1045 |
| 2020 | 233 | #1063 |
| 2019 | 200 | #1179 |
| 2018 | 218 | #1122 |
| 2017 | 159 | #1432 |
| 2016 | 194 | #1257 |
| 2015 | 96 | #2039 |
| 2014 | 89 | #2139 |
| 2013 | 71 | #2508 |
| 2012 | 84 | #2232 |
| 2011 | 60 | #2868 |
| 2010 | 57 | #2976 |
| 2009 | 60 | #2892 |
| 2008 | 63 | #2831 |
| 2007 | 60 | #2964 |
| 2006 | 69 | #2602 |
| 2005 | 66 | #2580 |
| 2004 | 58 | #2781 |
| 2003 | 48 | #3085 |
| 2002 | 54 | #2780 |
| 2001 | 74 | #2193 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rae a popular girl name?
Rae ranked #1299 among girls in 2025 with 171 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2039.
When was the name Rae most popular?
Rae peaked in 1956, when 406 American girls received the name (ranked #453 that year). Since 1956 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rae?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,526 newborn American girls was named Rae. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.