Raqwan
A masculine Arabic name meaning "dancer" or "prosperous one."
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Raqwan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Raqwan today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raqwan births was 1996 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raqwan. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Raqwan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1996
7 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1997 SSA rank
#9,009
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Raqwan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Raqwan 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 Raqwan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Raqwan
The name Raqwan has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "raqiba," which means "to watch over" or "to guard." The name is believed to have been given to individuals who were entrusted with guarding or protecting something valuable.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Raqwan can be found in the historical accounts of the early Islamic era. During this time, there was a renowned scholar and historian named Raqwan ibn Muhammad al-Anbari, who lived in the 9th century AD. He was known for his contributions to the study of Arabic grammar and literature.
Another notable figure with the name Raqwan was a military commander who served under the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century AD. Raqwan al-Kindi was a skilled strategist and played a significant role in the expansion of the Islamic empire during that period.
In the 11th century, there was a prominent poet and writer named Raqwan al-Qayrawani, who hailed from the city of Kairouan in present-day Tunisia. His works, which included poetry and treatises on various subjects, were highly regarded and influential in the literary circles of his time.
During the 13th century, a renowned Sufi mystic and scholar named Raqwan al-Baghdadi lived in Baghdad. He was known for his spiritual teachings and his contributions to the understanding of Islamic mysticism.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Raqwan was a 16th-century Moroccan scholar and jurist named Raqwan al-Fasi. He was renowned for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his influential legal writings, which were widely studied and referenced in the region.
While the name Raqwan has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has been used across various regions and communities over the centuries, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of human history and cultural exchange.
People
Raqwan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raqwan 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
Raqwan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raqwan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raqwan 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Raqwan a common name?
We classify Raqwan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raqwan most popular?
The single biggest year for Raqwan was 1996, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raqwan is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Raqwan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Raqwan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raqwan in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Raqwan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Raqwan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Raqwan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Raqwan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.