Ren is a Japanese name most often written with the character for "lotus", the flower of purity in Buddhist tradition; other spellings mean "love". It has been one of the most popular boys' names in Japan for years and reached American ears through anime and the Star Wars character Kylo Ren. In the United States Ren has climbed from number 2014 in 2015 to number 1041 in 2025, its best rank so far.