Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Rainer

    A boy’s name meaning “counsel by the gods”, “army”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Rainer means “counsel by the gods”, “army”.

    Variant of Rayner, a patronymic surname from a medieval given name from Proto-Germanic *raginą (“counsel by the gods”) + *harjaz (“army”). Also borrowed from modern German.

    More names that mean warrior.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Rainer last appeared in the official list in 2022, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2012, with 4 births (#3,987).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    27
    babies named Rainer, 1996–2025
    #4,789
    rank in 2022
    2012
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rainer with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Rainer at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 34 boys born in the United States were named Rainer, the 3,429th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2018, when 53 were.

    03060 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    1,276
    babies named Rainer since 1880
    #3,429
    rank in 2025
    2018
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Rainer

    50 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Rainer Maria Rilke
      Austrian poet and writer (1875–1926)
    • Rainer Weiss
      American physicist (1932–2025)
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
      German filmmaker, playwright and actor (1945-1982)
    • Rainer Bonhof
      German footballer, born 1952
    • Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria
      Austrian archduke (1783-1853)
    • Rainer Zitelmann
      German historian, author, management consultant and real estate expert, born 1957
    • Rainer von Fieandt
      Finnish politician (1890–1972)
    • Rainer Schönfelder
      Austrian Alpine skier, born 1977
    • Rainer Zobel
      German footballer and manager (born 1948)
    • Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria
      Archduke of Austria (1827-1913)
    • Rainer Schmidt
      East German ski jumper, born 1948
    • Rainer Troppa
      German association football player and manager (1958-2023)

    Questions

    What does the name Rainer mean?
    Rainer means “counsel by the gods”, “army”.
    How popular is the name Rainer?
    In 2022, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Rainer, ranking 4,789th. Its peak was 2012, with 4 births.
    Is Rainer a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 1,276 US babies named Rainer since 1880 were boys.
    When was Rainer most popular?
    2018 in the United States, when 53 babies were named Rainer, its highest rank at 2,464th.
    Is Rainer also a surname?
    Yes. Rainer is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.