Rashanna
Feminine name derived from the Russian "Rasha" meaning "flame" or "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 173 living Americans carry the first name Rashanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rashanna today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rashanna births was 1979 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rashanna. 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
173
~ 1 in 1,981,239 Americans
Peak year
1979
14 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2006 SSA rank
#19,368
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Rashanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rashanna from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 95 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rashanna 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 Rashanna 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 Rashanna
The name Rashanna is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with roots that can be traced back to several cultures and languages. One possible derivation is from the Sanskrit word "rashi," meaning "zodiac sign" or "constellation," combined with the Persian suffix "-ana," which can indicate a place or a female name. This suggests that the name may have originated in ancient Persia or regions influenced by Persian culture.
Another theory proposes that Rashanna is a variation of the Hebrew name "Rashel," meaning "ewe" or "female sheep." This name was mentioned in the Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible, referring to a well near Bethlehem. The name may have evolved over time, with the addition of the "-anna" suffix, which is common in many Semitic and Middle Eastern names.
In ancient Egypt, the name "Rashanna" was recorded as a variant of the name "Rashidi," which was derived from the Egyptian god "Ra," the sun god. This connection could indicate that the name had religious significance in ancient Egyptian culture.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rashanna dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in medieval Persian poetry and literature. One notable figure bearing this name was Rashanna al-Baghdadi, a renowned female poet and scholar who lived in Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rashanna, including:
1. Rashanna Rashad (born 1979), an American actress and singer known for her roles in television shows like "The Parkers" and "Sister, Sister."
2. Rashanna Reid (born 1985), a former professional basketball player from the United States who played in the WNBA and overseas.
3. Rashanna Persaud (born 1995), a Canadian actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and films.
4. Rashanna Evans (born 1990), an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
5. Rashanna Khan (born 1988), a British fashion designer and entrepreneur known for her sustainable and ethical clothing line.
While the exact origin of the name Rashanna remains uncertain, it has been embraced across various cultures and regions, with each interpretation adding to its rich history and diverse meanings.
People
Rashanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rashanna 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
Rashanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rashanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 173 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rashanna 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 1,981,239 US residents.
Is Rashanna a common name?
We classify Rashanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rashanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Rashanna was 1979, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rashanna is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rashanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rashanna 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.