Rahi
A masculine Arabic name meaning "traveler" or "wayfarer".
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the first name Rahi. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Rahi today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rahi births was 2024 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rahi. 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
226
~ 1 in 1,516,612 Americans
Peak year
2024
25 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,090
Tracked since 1998
Gender
Gender distribution for Rahi
Rahi is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 228 total registrations, 52 (22.8%) were male and 176 (77.2%) were female.
Rahi as a male name
- Ranked #13,719 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (8 births)
Rahi as a female name
- Ranked #6,090 in 2024
- 20 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (20 births)
Popularity
Rahi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rahi 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 93 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rahi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rahi 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 Rahi 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 Rahi
The name Rahi has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Sanskrit language. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "rahi," which means "traveler" or "wanderer." The name gained prominence during the ancient and medieval periods in India, and it is often associated with spiritual seekers and individuals who embarked on journeys of self-discovery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rahi can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. In this epic, Rahi is mentioned as a sage who imparted wisdom and spiritual guidance to the Pandava brothers during their exile. This association with wisdom and spirituality has contributed to the name's enduring popularity in Hindu traditions.
In the 7th century CE, a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer named Rahi Aryabhata made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy. He is credited with introducing the concept of zero and the decimal system, as well as accurately calculating the Earth's circumference and the length of the solar year. His works had a profound impact on the development of science in India and beyond.
Another notable figure from history who bore the name Rahi was Rahi Baba, a 16th-century Sufi mystic and saint from present-day Pakistan. He was revered for his spiritual teachings and is remembered for his devotional poetry, which continues to inspire and guide seekers on the path of Sufism.
In the 19th century, Rahi was the name of a celebrated Urdu poet from the Indian subcontinent. His poetic works, known for their depth and contemplative nature, explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition. He was widely acclaimed for his mastery of the Urdu language and his ability to convey profound insights through his poetry.
While the name Rahi is more commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, it has also been embraced by individuals from other cultures and regions. For instance, Rahi Jaffer, a contemporary Canadian artist of Indian descent, has gained recognition for her thought-provoking installations and sculptures that explore themes of identity, migration, and cultural fusion.
People
Rahi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rahi 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
Rahi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rahi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 226 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rahi 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 1,516,612 US residents.
Is Rahi a common name?
We classify Rahi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 228 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rahi most popular?
The single biggest year for Rahi was 2024, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rahi is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rahi a female name?
Yes, 77.2% of people registered as Rahi 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.