The name Reni is of Italian origin and means "little king" or "small queen". It is a diminutive form of the Italian given names Renato and Regina, which themselves derive from the Latin words "rex" meaning king and " regina" meaning queen respectively.
The use of the name Reni can be traced back to medieval Italy, where it was often used as a nickname for children who were considered small or delicate in stature. Over time, however, Reni became established as an independent given name in its own right, particularly among Italian families.
Today, Reni is still widely used in Italy and other countries with significant Italian populations, such as Argentina and Brazil. It has also gained some popularity internationally in recent years, although it remains relatively uncommon outside of Italy.
Overall, the name Reni is a charming and distinctive choice for a child's name, with a unique meaning that celebrates strength and royalty in small packages.
The name Reni has been a relatively uncommon choice for newborns in the United States over the past few decades, with only 149 babies given this name since 1955. The name first appeared on the charts in 1955 with eight births that year. It reached its peak popularity in 2022 when there were eleven births, which is also the highest number of births recorded for Reni in a single year.
Despite its recent spike in popularity, Reni has never been among the top 1,000 most popular baby names in the United States. In fact, it has only appeared on the charts nine times since 1955. The name seems to have experienced periods of fluctuation in popularity throughout this time frame, with some years seeing more than ten births and others seeing fewer than five.
Interestingly, Reni appears to have seen a resurgence in recent years, with eight births recorded in both 2021 and 2023. This could indicate that the name is once again gaining favor among parents-to-be in the United States. Only time will tell whether this trend continues or if Reni's popularity will fluctuate further in the coming years.
In any case, it is clear that Reni remains a relatively unique choice for a baby name in the United States. With its low overall number of births and inconsistent popularity over time, it seems likely that most people given the name Reni were named after someone with this unusual moniker rather than simply following a trend.