The baby name Rex blends vintage style with a commanding presence.
Thanks to Lola for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME REX MEAN?
Even without Latin 101, we all know that Rex is the Latin for king.
There’s the scary dinosaur and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Not exactly a cuddly combination, but just enough to keep it familiar across the years.
In Ancient Rome, pre-Empire, the ruler was known as the Rex Romae.
This puts Rex in the company of regal picks like Kingsley and Reign. But while those are modern favorites, seldom heard before the twenty-first century, Rex claims centuries of use.
IS REX A DOG’S NAME?
During the 20th century, a handful of famous dogs answered to the name Rex:
- A British search and rescue dog named Rex received the Dickin Medal – the highest honor given to animals serving in war. He rescued bombing victims by digging through rubble.
- In the 1980s, President Reagan welcomed a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel by the name to the White House. He performed a number of official duties, including helping to light the National Christmas Tree.
- The 1995 movie Babe featured a talking pig – and a sheepdog called Rex.
The association holds, even into the 21st century. Except dog names and children’s names are easily interchangeable now. Luna, Sadie, Finn, and Cooper are favorites for our pets and our kids – which means it’s tough to argue that Rex’s ties to famous canines is a drawback.
REX HARRISON AND MORE FAMOUS REXES
Famous men named Rex might come to mind, too.
Hollywood star Rex Harrison famously played Professor Henry Higgins opposite Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. He earned an Oscar for the part in 1964. And he’d previously won a Tony Award for playing the same role on Broadway.
Harrison’s career spanned five decades, including television and radio as well as stage and screen. He lends the baby name Rex a mix of leading man dash and subtle British charm.
There’s also Rex Allen. A film and television actor, his career started in the 1950s when singing cowboys were all the rage. Allen became famous playing a fictional cowboy – also named Rex Allen. Later in life, he became a favored narrator for Disney wildlife films, as well as other productions. If you’ve seen the original animated version of Charlotte’s Web, from 1973, then you’ve heard Rex Allen’s voice.
Other famous bearers of the name include:
- Author Rex Stout, known for creating the fictional detective Nero Wolfe.
- Film critic Rex Reed.
- American football coach turned analyst Rex Ryan.
- Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
TOY REX
Back to Disney for a minute.
Parents of this generation might think of a different fictional character: the nervous dinosaur from the Toy Story movies.
Beginning in 1995, children have followed the adventures of Woody, Buzz, and a host of their friends. Rex, voiced by Wallace Shawn, has been part of the story since the beginning. Toy Story 5 is due out in 2026.
It makes the name Rex broadly familiar from Gen X onward.
REX MANNING DAY
Speaking of 1990s movies, Empire Records fell flat at the box office – but went on to become a cult classic.
The story of a struggling independent record store, Empire Records featured plenty of A-List celebrities early days, like Renee Zellweger and Liv Tyler. Rex Manning was an 80s pop star set to make an appearance at the store.
So yes, pop culture now remembers April 8th as Rex Manning Day.
KING of MARDI GRAS
There’s one more use that might come to mind.
In New Orleans, Rex is King of Mardi Gras.
The annual celebration features parades with massive floats. They’re organized by krewes – local civic organizations that both parade and support various charitable causes in the community.
Rex is the oldest, organized by local businessmen way back in 1872.
The krewe’s parade is the highlight of Mardi Gras, and Rex’s role is to receive the key to the city from the mayor and then lead the traditional ball. It’s considered a significant honor, one earned after many years of service to the community.
It’s yet another reason to hear the baby name Rex as royal.
REGIS and REGINALD
French surname Regis comes from Rex. It might’ve started out as a last name for someone employed by a royal household. Regis is sometimes heard as a given name, too – The late television host Regis Philbin comes to mind.
Reginald, however, comes from separate roots. It’s derived from the Germanic Raginald – advice and authority.
In modern times, none of these are particularly common names, but they’re all at least a little familiar.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME REX?
The baby name Rex peaked in use in the early 1950s, reaching #170 in 1951. That’s around the time Rex Harrison and Rex Allen were launching their careers.
It fell in popularity during the later 20th century. But the baby name Rex returned to the US Top 1000 in 2003. As of 2024, it ranks #794.
STRONG AND DISTINCTIVE
File the baby name Rex somewhere between classic Max and modern Knox.
There’s a strength to his name, both in terms of sound and meaning.
And Rex is nicely distinctive, too – easily recognized but seldom heard.
Choose it as a middle name, with a first starting with T? Your Theo Rex or Truett Rex can use the nickname T-Rex, just like the dinosaur.
If you’re after short, complete, powerful, and not-too-common, the baby name Rex might belong on your list.
What do you think of the baby name Rex?
First published on November 14, 2008, this post was revised and re-published on March 1, 2022 and again on December 30, 2025.
My brother and sister-in-law are looking for a name starting with R for their unborn son, and were discussing possible long forms for Rex. If you ever want to do another Getting To post, this might be one to consider.
Rex is actually one of the middle names we have picked for our new baby due any time now. Our other names are far more unusual. Rex is our “normal” option for him to use if he wants something that doesn’t stand out as much.
I have a little boy named Rex! It was the only name we could agree on when we picked it, but I really love it now. And we’ve met four other little Rexes in his three years of life.
This was our second choice for a boy’s name behind Grover. However, we’d go with the full name of “Rexford”, which would obvious give way to the nickname Rex.