Rainier
Boy name · #3327 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Rainier? In official American birth records, Rainier has been tracked continuously since 1956, giving it 69 years of documented American history.
Rainier ranks #3327 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 35 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3231, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 51,429 boys born in 2025 was named Rainier.
Babies named Rainier per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 69-year story
Rainier first appears in the Social Security records in 1956, when 11 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 41 babies and a rank of #3005. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rainier against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rainier in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rainier is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Rainier will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rainier is most common
State-level data for Rainier is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Rainier
Statistically, parents drawn to Rainier tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Collier, Zyier, Rainer, Olivier, and Wheeler.
CollierZyierRainerOlivierWheelerRoperRennerCartier
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rainier | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #3314 |
| 2024 | 27 | #3986 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3005 |
| 2022 | 40 | #3053 |
| 2021 | 40 | #3021 |
| 2020 | 34 | #3274 |
| 2019 | 30 | #3636 |
| 2018 | 32 | #3446 |
| 2017 | 24 | #4224 |
| 2016 | 30 | #3596 |
| 2015 | 35 | #3231 |
| 2014 | 20 | #4702 |
| 2013 | 23 | #4180 |
| 2012 | 26 | #3894 |
| 2011 | 17 | #5200 |
| 2010 | 20 | #4678 |
| 2009 | 8 | #8985 |
| 2008 | 18 | #5067 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5901 |
| 2006 | 16 | #5303 |
| 2005 | 15 | #5278 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5246 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5271 |
| 2002 | 7 | #8456 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6935 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Rainier?
In official American birth records, the name Rainier first appeared in 1956 (over 69 years ago), when 11 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 69 years.
Is Rainier a popular boy name?
Rainier ranked #3327 among boys in 2025 with 35 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3231.
When was the name Rainier most popular?
Rainier peaked in 2023, when 41 American boys received the name (ranked #3005 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Rainier?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 51,429 newborn American boys was named Rainier. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.