Rania
Of Arabic origin meaning "garden, paradise, heavenly beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 2,999 living Americans carry the first name Rania. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rania today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rania births was 2006 (128 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rania. 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
3.0K
~ 1 in 114,290 Americans
Peak year
2006
128 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,001
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Rania: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rania from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,024 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rania remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rania 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 Rania during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ranias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Rania, while Connecticut, Arizona, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 92 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rania
The name Rania is a feminine given name of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "ra'na," which means "delicate" or "graceful." It is a name that has been in use for centuries, with roots tracing back to the medieval Islamic world.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rania can be found in various historical texts and records from the Middle East. It is believed to have been popular among the elite classes and nobility during the Golden Age of Islamic civilization, particularly in regions like Persia, Mesopotamia, and the Levant.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Rania was Rania al-Alawiyya, a Sufi mystic and poet who lived in Damascus, Syria, during the 13th century. Her writings and teachings on spirituality and self-awareness gained widespread recognition and influenced the Sufi tradition.
In the 14th century, Rania bint Uthman, a renowned scholar and educator from Andalusia (present-day Spain), made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and religious studies. Her works on Islamic law and theology were widely studied and cited by scholars of her time.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Rania was particularly popular among the ruling class and nobility. One notable figure was Rania Valide Sultan, the wife of Sultan Ahmed I, who ruled the empire in the early 17th century. She played a significant role in the political and cultural affairs of the Ottoman court.
In more recent history, Rania Al-Abdullah, the Queen of Jordan, has brought international recognition to the name. Born in 1970, she is known for her humanitarian work, advocacy for education, and efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding.
Another notable figure is Rania Masri, a Lebanese-American author and activist born in 1962. She has written extensively on issues related to the Arab-American experience, women's rights, and social justice.
Throughout history, the name Rania has been associated with grace, beauty, and intellectual pursuits. While its origins can be traced back to the Arabic language, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world.
People
Rania + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rania 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
Rania: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rania?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,999 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rania 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 114,290 US residents.
Is Rania a common name?
We classify Rania as "Rare". It ranks above 95.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,068 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rania most popular?
The single biggest year for Rania was 2006, when 128 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rania is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rania a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rania 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.