boy's name
Remy
REM-ee
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 103,273
the United States
#408
2025 births
Remy is a name of Latin origin meaning "oarsman" or "rower." It comes from the Latin Remigius, from remex, and belonged to the bishop who baptised Clovis and effectively founded Christian France.
- Remy is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2020, when 1,489 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,004 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1914.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Remy over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. Remy is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,725 |
| 1910s | 1,880 |
| 1920s | 3,865 |
| 1930s | 4,985 |
| 1940s | 6,170 |
| 1950s | 9,800 |
| 1960s | 8,275 |
| 1970s | 5,410 |
| 1980s | 12,525 |
| 1990s | 12,715 |
| 2000s | 5,710 |
| 2010s | 1,285 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 230 |
What Remy means
Remy means oarsman or rower, from the Latin remex. The connection to Reims is a place association rather than an etymology — the city is named separately, after the Remi tribe.
Where Remy comes from
Remy anglicizes the French Rémy, from the Latin Remigius, built on remex, an oarsman, from remus, an oar. Saint Remigius, bishop of Reims, baptised Clovis I around 496 and is regarded as the apostle of the Franks, which made the name a French staple. Reference works often give Remy as meaning from Reims, but that is a confusion: the city takes its name from the Gaulish Remi tribe and has no etymological link to the saint's name. Rémy Martin, founded in 1724, carries the name commercially.
Remy in use
Our data records Remy for both sexes and shows it peaking in 2020 and still rising, at 112 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1914. Its use for girls is recent and largely American, while British use leans male, a split with no obvious cause.
How popular is Remy?
In 2025, Remy was given to 525 babies in England and Wales, ranking #112 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Remy is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. Data & sources.
How Remy is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Rémy | Rémy is Remy written with an acute accent in France, and the spelling parents there overwhelmingly choose: it ranks #1,263 in France, against #6,122 for Remy. | 74,252 |
Names that peaked alongside Remy
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Remy also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Remy over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Remy
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.
Remy 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.
Sibling names for Remy
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Remy — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Remy
What does the name Remy mean?
Remy means "oarsman," from the Latin remex by way of Remigius.
Does Remy mean from Reims?
No — that is a common confusion. Reims takes its name from the Gaulish Remi tribe, unconnected to the name Remigius.
Is Remy a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Our data records it as unisex, with British use leaning male and American use more often female.
How popular is the name Remy?
In 2025, Remy was given to 525 babies in England and Wales, ranking #112 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Remy?
Remy has 2 syllables.
When was Remy most popular?
Remy peaked in 2020, when 1,489 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Remy?
Remy is usually shortened to Rem.
Is Remy a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Remy currently ranks #112 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.