A Japanese name has been chosen for you
礼
れい
Rei
RAY · a unisex name
“Courtesy, gratitude”
Courteous · Principled · Composed
The story of Rei
The courteous Rei — respect, kept like a promise.
Rei sounds like 'ray' and cuts just as clean. Worn by men and women alike, it chooses between a jewel's chime and old-school courtesy.
Kanji by kanji
courtesy, rite
The kanji of the bow — respect given form, the 'rei' that begins and ends practice.
How it feels
The full story
About 礼
礼 opens every dojo and closes every letter in Japan. As a name it wishes for a spine that bows well: strength with manners.
Popularity in Japan
Rei recurs across generations and both genders, boosted in recent decades by its cool, minimal sound.
Through the decades
A name that resurfaces whenever minimalism does.
Deep dive
The word rei carries two of Japan's finer instincts: 玲, the clear ring of struck jade, and 礼, the bow that opens and closes everything. Sound and manners — both exact.
Names like Rei
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