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Rei 礼衛 – Japanese girl given name

Rei (礼衛) is read れい and has 2 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 礼衛, the characters mean: salute + defense. This reading can be written with at least 62 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 10 to 24 strokes in total.

About the name Rei

Rei (零 or 玲) means zero, or the sound of a jewel. It is used for boys and girls.

How to write Rei in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
礼衛	れい	salute + defense	21
麗生	れい	lovely + life	24
蓮生	れい	lotus + life	18
玲一	れい	sound of jewels + one	10
玲生	れい	sound of jewels + life	14
嶺生	れい	peak + life	22

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Rei

礼

salute, bow, ceremony, thanks

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: レイ、ライ

衛

defense, protection

16 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 5

On: エイ、エ

麗

lovely, beautiful, graceful, resplendent

19 strokes, taught in secondary school

On: レイ Kun: うるわ、うら

生

life, genuine, birth

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: セイ、ショウ Kun: い、う、うま

蓮

lotus

13 strokes, an approved name kanji

On: レン Kun: はす、はちす

Rei in different scripts

Romaji	Rei
Hiragana	れい
Katakana	レイ
Kanji (most common)	礼衛

Full name examples

Rei Yuki (Japanese order: 結城礼衛, ゆうきれい)
Rei Kono (Japanese order: 河野礼衛, こうのれい)
Rei Maki (Japanese order: 牧礼衛, まきれい)

How to pronounce Rei

Break it into 1 parts: rei. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 2 sound units are written れい.

Questions about Rei

What does Rei mean in Japanese?

Rei has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 礼衛, combines these meanings: salute + defense. Other spellings include 麗生 (lovely + life), 蓮生 (lotus + life), 玲一 (sound of jewels + one).

How do you write Rei in kanji?

The most common way is 礼衛 (れい). It can also be written 麗生, 蓮生, 玲一, 玲生, 嶺生.

How do you write Rei in katakana?

Rei is レイ in katakana and れい in hiragana.

Is Rei a boy or girl name?

Rei is mostly used for girls.

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Themes: Flowers Music and sound

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