From Latin 'regis' meaning 'of the king' or 'kingly,' used as a given name in French-speaking cultures.
Regis derives from the Latin 'regis,' the genitive form of 'rex,' meaning 'of the king' or 'belonging to the king' — making it, in a grammatical sense, a name that denotes royal connection rather than kingship itself. This gave it a particular appeal in Catholic devotional naming, where it became associated above all with Saint Jean-François Régis, a seventeenth-century French Jesuit missionary who worked tirelessly among the poor communities of the Cévennes and Vivarais regions of France. He was canonized in 1737 and became the patron saint of social workers and lacemakers, giving the name a strong Jesuit and francophone Catholic identity.
In France and in Francophone communities — Quebec most prominently — Regis became a recognizable saint's day name with a clear cultural address. It carried the gravity of Latin ecclesiastical tradition while sounding distinctly French in practice. In the broader English-speaking world, the name was for most of the twentieth century closely associated with Regis Philbin, the relentlessly affable American television personality who co-hosted 'Live with Regis and Kathie Lee' for decades before passing away in 2020.
Philbin's warm, slightly self-deprecating persona gave the name an approachable, showbiz-adjacent quality that it hadn't previously possessed. Regis is unusual enough in English-speaking contexts that it consistently prompts curiosity about its origin — a quality some parents actively seek. Its Latin backbone gives it intellectual weight, its Jesuit association gives it spiritual texture, and its Francophone heritage gives it a European elegance. As vintage and saint names cycle back into fashion, Regis has quiet potential for families willing to explain it.