unisex name
Remi
REM-ee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 129,139
the United States
#145
2025 births
Remi is a name of Latin origin meaning "oarsman." It is the French Rémi, from Remigius, and belonged to the bishop who baptised Clovis — the event traditionally treated as the founding of Christian France.
- Remi is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 2,740 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,413 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Remi started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Remi over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2024, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,370 |
| 1910s | 1,315 |
| 1920s | 2,810 |
| 1930s | 3,645 |
| 1940s | 3,630 |
| 1950s | 6,430 |
| 1960s | 7,395 |
| 1970s | 6,080 |
| 1980s | 20,825 |
| 1990s | 22,030 |
| 2000s | 12,255 |
| 2010s | 2,845 |
| 2020s (to 2024) | 480 |
What Remi means
Remi means oarsman or rower, from the Latin remex. The widely given meaning from Reims is a confusion — the city takes its name from the Gaulish Remi tribe, not from the saint.
Where Remi comes from
Remi is the French form of the Latin Remigius, from remex, an oarsman, from remus, an oar. Saint Remigius baptised Clovis I around 496, converting the Frankish king and with him his people; the ampoule of oil said to have been used was thereafter kept at Reims and used to anoint French kings until 1825. The i-spelling Remi is closer to the French; Remy is the more common English rendering. Both are used for boys and girls, with female use largely American.
Remi in use
Our data records Remi for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2022 and still rising. It first appears in our records in 1915. Remy, its alternative spelling, sits at 112 in England and Wales — the two forms are close enough that neither ranking shows the name's real reach.
How popular is Remi?
In 2025, Remi was given to 2,346 babies in the United States, ranking #145 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Remi is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Remi is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Rémi | Rémi is Remi written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #669 in France, against #6,120 for Remi. | 90,503 |
Names that peaked alongside Remi
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Remi also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Remi over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Remi
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Remi in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Japanese
- Remi
Sibling names for Remi
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Remi — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Remi
What does the name Remi mean?
Remi means "oarsman," from the Latin remex by way of Remigius.
Does Remi mean from Reims?
No. That is a common confusion — Reims is named for the Gaulish Remi tribe, unconnected to the saint's name.
What is the difference between Remi and Remy?
Only spelling. Remi is closer to the French; Remy is the more common English form.
How popular is the name Remi?
In 2025, Remi was given to 2,346 babies in the United States, ranking #145 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Remi a girl's or a boy's name?
Remi is used for both girls and boys. About 22% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Remi?
Remi has 2 syllables.
When was Remi most popular?
Remi peaked in 2022, when 2,740 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Remi?
Remi is usually shortened to Rem.
Is Remi a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Remi currently ranks #55 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Remi originally a boys' or girls' name?
Remi was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.