Rainer
Variant of Rayner, a patronymic surname from a medieval given name from Proto-Germanic *raginą (“counsel by the gods”) + *harjaz (“army”).
Every Rainer since 1955 — 1,276 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Rainer
Rainer is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,429 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1955, 1,276 American babies have been named Rainer. Its peak came in 2018, when 53 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Rainer stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Rainer year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 34 | #3,429 |
| 2024 | — | — | 51 | #2,624 |
| 2023 | — | — | 45 | #2,838 |
| 2022 | — | — | 44 | #2,906 |
| 2021 | — | — | 53 | #2,518 |
| 2020 | 6 | #14,729 | 43 | #2,829 |
| 2019 | — | — | 35 | #3,326 |
| 2018 | — | — | 53 | #2,464 |
| 2017 | — | — | 48 | #2,623 |
| 2016 | — | — | 43 | #2,823 |
| 2015 | — | — | 36 | #3,211 |
| 2014 | — | — | 35 | #3,201 |
| 2013 | — | — | 27 | #3,832 |
| 2012 | — | — | 23 | #4,354 |
| 2011 | — | — | 19 | #4,942 |
| 2010 | 5 | #19,192 | 15 | #5,969 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19,536 | 24 | #4,247 |
| 2008 | — | — | 29 | #3,714 |
| 2007 | — | — | 22 | #4,467 |
| 2006 | — | — | 27 | #3,752 |
| 2005 | — | — | 25 | #3,793 |
| 2004 | — | — | 18 | #4,741 |
| 2003 | — | — | 10 | #7,118 |
| 2002 | — | — | 17 | #4,659 |
| 2001 | — | — | 18 | #4,423 |
| 2000 | — | — | 10 | #6,711 |
| 1995 | — | — | 17 | #3,812 |
| 1990 | — | — | 12 | #4,611 |
| 1985 | — | — | 20 | #2,572 |
| 1980 | — | — | 5 | #7,040 |
| 1975 | — | — | 7 | #4,668 |
| 1970 | — | — | 6 | #4,603 |
| 1965 | — | — | 13 | #2,347 |
| 1960 | — | — | 13 | #2,403 |
| 1955 | — | — | 7 | #3,433 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Rainer
- Rainer Maria Rilke Writer · 1875–1926
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder Film director · 1945–1982
- Rainer Weiss Physicist · b. 1932
- Rainer Bonhof Soccer player · b. 1952
- Rainer Barzel Politician · 1924–2006
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Rainer mean?
Variant of Rayner, a patronymic surname from a medieval given name from Proto-Germanic *raginą (“counsel by the gods”) + *harjaz (“army”).
How popular is the name Rainer in 2025?
Rainer ranked #3,429 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Rainer?
1,276 babies have been named Rainer in the United States since 1955, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Rainer most popular?
Rainer peaked in 2018, when 53 newborns received the name.
Is Rainer a boy or girl name?
Rainer is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Rainer rising or falling?
Rainer is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Rainer?
Well-known people named Rainer include Rainer Maria Rilke (writer), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (film director), Rainer Weiss (physicist).