Reef is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “reef of rock or coral”, English word. From the English word for a ridge of rock or coral, ultimately from Old Norse rif, 'rib'.

Reef

Gender: Boy
Say it: REEF
Origin: English
UK rank, 2025: #3,329 for boys
US rank, 2025: #2,480 for boys

Reef is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “reef of rock or coral”. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 2,480th for boys in the US (54 babies).

What does Reef mean?

English: English word

“reef of rock or coral”

From the English word for a ridge of rock or coral, ultimately from Old Norse rif, 'rib'.

Is Reef a girl's or a boy's name?

Reef is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 7 girls and 54 boys in the US.

How popular is Reef in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 3,329th among boys
Babies in 2025: 6 about 1 in 50,000 boys
Five-year trend: Falling down 28% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Reef, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,819th. Its busiest year was 1999, with 24 boys.

2025 had fewer boys named Reef than any year since 1996.

Half of all the boys named Reef in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 24 in 19992025

Reef in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	6	#3,329
2024	10	#2,328
2023	12	#2,024
2022	9	#2,457
2021	15	#1,686
2020	7	#2,819
2019	16	#1,608
2018	16	#1,638
2017	13	#1,922
2016	12	#2,007
2015	11	#2,127
2014	16	#1,573
2013	12	#1,901
2012	7	#2,849
2011	11	#2,011
2010	16	#1,585
2009	11	#1,959
2008	15	#1,547
2007	22	#1,172
2006	16	#1,369
2005	16	#1,326
2004	22	#1,010
2003	11	#1,498
2002	11	#1,384
2001	16	#1,054
2000	14	#1,113
1999	24	#755
1998	10	#1,346
1997	9	#1,412
1996	3	#2,949

How popular is Reef in the US?

Rank in 2025: 2,480th among boys
Babies in 2025: 54 about 1 in 32,000 boys
Five-year trend: Steady down 4% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 54 boys in the US were named Reef, making it the 2,480th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,322nd. Its busiest year was 2021, with 81 boys. It first appears in the records in 1996. 7 girls were also named Reef in 2025 (11,928th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Reef in the US since 1880 were born between 2009 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 11% of the babies named Reef in the US were girls.

1996Busiest: 81 in 20212025

Reef in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	54	#2,480
2024	53	#2,527
2023	68	#2,128
2022	62	#2,298
2021	81	#1,883
2020	58	#2,322
2019	71	#2,041
2018	53	#2,444
2017	51	#2,492
2016	57	#2,305
2015	51	#2,456
2014	54	#2,368
2013	49	#2,490
2012	51	#2,447
2011	72	#1,926
2010	64	#2,099
2009	51	#2,485
2008	51	#2,466
2007	39	#2,972
2006	47	#2,541
2005	32	#3,168
2004	27	#3,452
2003	16	#4,810
2002	24	#3,549
2001	14	#5,135
2000	10	#6,309
1999	9	#6,524
1998	9	#6,308
1997	6	#8,104
1996	6	#7,964

Names like Reef

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Muhammad, Zayd, Musa, Hamza, Saif, Abdullah, Ibrahim, Zayan, Ahmed, Zayaan, Rayyan, Umar

More English names

Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Reef: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/reef, updated 20 October 2026.