| Rex | Maurice | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | king | dark-skinned, Moorish |
| Origin | latin | latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | reks | MOR-iss |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1951 (1,503) | 1921 (1,743) |
| In 2025 | 281 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rex | Maurice |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,106 | 1,476 |
| 2010s | 3,945 | 4,640 |
| 2000s | 2,048 | 7,178 |
| 1990s | 1,740 | 10,087 |
| 1980s | 2,532 | 15,575 |
| 1970s | 3,359 | 15,233 |
| 1960s | 8,735 | 14,643 |
| 1950s | 13,499 | 12,584 |
| 1940s | 6,671 | 10,477 |
| 1930s | 5,949 | 12,638 |
| 1920s | 5,627 | 16,161 |
| 1910s | 3,253 | 11,429 |
| 1900s | 497 | 1,980 |
| 1890s | 305 | 1,270 |
| 1880s | 183 | 961 |
Directly from the Latin noun 'rex', meaning 'king' — the same root behind 'regal' and 'royal'. One of the few names that literally means 'king' with no ambiguity.
From Latin 'Mauritius', a derivative of 'Maurus' meaning 'Moor' or 'dark-skinned, swarthy'. Borne by Saint Maurice, a 3rd-century martyr.
Rex is more popular than Maurice today: about 281 US babies were given the name Rex in 2025, compared with 0 named Maurice.
Rex means king (latin origin), while Maurice means dark-skinned, Moorish (latin origin).
In US records, Rex first appears in 1880 and Maurice in 0, so Maurice has the longer recorded history.