Boy name · Germanic
Reginald
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: counsel rulerReginald is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "counsel ruler". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Counsel ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1284 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Reginald
As a boy's name, Reginald comes from Germanic and means "counsel ruler". It is used in English.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Reginald on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Reginald on 8 lists.
“Proper, polished and fond of afternoon tea”
From Funny middle names, grand old-fashioned middle names
“Serves answers on a silver platter”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, butler and assistant-style names
“Germanic for advice and rule; very proper indeed”
From Boy cat names, old-fashioned boy cat names
“Very proper, very British, Reggie at home”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“A name Robert L. May weighed before choosing Rudolph”
From Reindeer names, santa's reindeer names
“A dignified name for a dignified bird”
From Funny names for turkeys, boy turkey names (for toms)
“Power of counsel; Germanic. Reggie for short; at its US peak in the 1960s”
From Old man names, distinguished old man names
“Counsel ruler; Germanic, Reggie for short”
From Unique boy names, unique vintage boy names
How popular is Reginald?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,284
- 153 babies, 90 per million boys
- Best rank
- #117 in 1968
- Most babies: 2,647 in 1962
- Babies since 1880
- At least 111,551
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 120 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 202 per million |
| 1900s | 323 per million |
| 1910s | 289 per million |
| 1920s | 336 per million |
| 1930s | 366 per million |
| 1940s | 476 per million |
| 1950s | 957 per million |
| 1960s | 1,294 per million |
| 1970s | 1,041 per million |
| 1980s | 731 per million |
| 1990s | 499 per million |
| 2000s | 264 per million |
| 2010s | 163 per million |
| 2020s | 111 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #822 | #841 | #835 | #884 | #990 | #1,032 | #1,065 | #1,108 | #1,180 | #1,284 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Reginald
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ReinaldoCounsel ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- KonradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- ConradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Reginald
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Reginald: common questions
What does the name Reginald mean?
Reginald comes from Germanic and means "counsel ruler".
Is Reginald a boy or girl name?
Reginald is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Reginald come from?
Reginald comes from Germanic and means "counsel ruler". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Reginald?
Reginald ranked #1,284 in the US in 2025, with 153 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Reginald?
Forms of Reginald with the same meaning and origin include Reinaldo (Spanish).
What middle names go with Reginald?
Middle names that flow well with Reginald include Alton, Beau, Ezra, Ford and John. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.