Raea
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "vision" or "revelation".
Name Census estimates that about 129 living Americans carry the first name Raea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raea today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raea births was 2016 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raea. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
129
~ 1 in 2,657,010 Americans
Peak year
2016
12 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,095
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Raea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raea from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 73 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Raea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Raea by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Raea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Raea
The name Raea is believed to have originated from the ancient Polynesian language family, particularly in the Hawaiian and Maori cultures. It is thought to be derived from the word "ra'a," which means "sun" or "sunshine" in several Polynesian languages.
In Hawaiian culture, the name Raea was often given to children born during the day or in the presence of sunlight, as the sun played a significant role in their mythology and beliefs. The name was intended to symbolize warmth, radiance, and the life-giving properties of the sun.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Raea can be found in the Hawaiian oral traditions and chants, which were passed down through generations. These chants often mentioned individuals with the name Raea, highlighting their connection to the sun and its significance in Hawaiian culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Raea. One of the earliest known was Raea Kahakulani, a Hawaiian chieftain who lived in the late 18th century and played a role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under King Kamehameha I.
Another historical figure with the name Raea was Raea Hakataia, a Maori leader from New Zealand in the early 19th century. She was known for her navigation skills and her role in leading her tribe's migrations across the islands.
In the 20th century, Raea Tiara was a renowned Hawaiian singer and dancer who helped preserve and promote traditional Hawaiian music and hula. She was born in 1922 and passed away in 2008, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the cultural arts of Hawaii.
Raea Puriri was a Maori artist and sculptor from New Zealand, born in 1932. She was known for her intricate wood carvings and her efforts to revive and promote traditional Maori art forms.
Raea Taputapuatea was a Tahitian navigator and voyager who lived in the 18th century. She was renowned for her expertise in traditional navigation techniques and her voyages across the Pacific Ocean.
While the name Raea may not be as widely used today, it remains a significant part of the cultural heritage of Polynesian communities, particularly in Hawaii and New Zealand, where it continues to evoke connections to the sun, warmth, and the natural world.
People
Raea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Raea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raea going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,657,010 US residents.
Is Raea a common name?
We classify Raea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 130 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raea most popular?
The single biggest year for Raea was 2016, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raea is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Raea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raea in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.