Ravan
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "night wanderer" or "demon".
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Ravan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ravan today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ravan births was 1994 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ravan. 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
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
1994
22 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2005 SSA rank
#15,994
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Ravan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ravan from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ravan 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 Ravan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ravans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ravan
The name Ravan has its origins in the Sanskrit language and Hinduism, dating back to ancient times in the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Ravana," which means "the roarer" or "the one with an awe-inspiring voice." This name is closely associated with the main antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana, written around the 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE.
In the Ramayana, Ravana is portrayed as the powerful and intelligent king of Lanka (present-day Sri Lanka). He is described as a skilled warrior, a great scholar, and a devotee of Lord Shiva. However, his arrogance and desire for power led him to abduct Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, triggering a great war that ultimately resulted in his downfall.
The earliest recorded example of the name Ravana can be found in the Ramayana itself, where he is depicted as a complex character with both heroic and villainous traits. Over time, the name Ravan has been used to represent strength, courage, and leadership, but also a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition and ego.
One of the most famous historical figures bearing the name Ravan was Maharaja Ravan Singh (1627-1667), a Rajput ruler of the princely state of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, India. He is renowned for his architectural contributions, including the construction of the Kishangarh Fort and the promotion of the Kishangarh school of miniature painting.
Another notable individual with the name Ravan was Ravan Chhaya (1910-1935), a freedom fighter from India who participated in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. He was hanged by the British authorities for his involvement in the revolutionary activities of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
In more recent times, Ravan Naidu (1957-present) is a South African cricketer who played for the national team in the 1990s and is considered one of the best all-rounders in the country's cricketing history.
Ravan Samraat (1966-present) is an Indian classical singer and composer, known for his contributions to the Hindustani classical music tradition. He has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian honors in India.
Ravan Deni (1977-present) is a Fijian rugby union player who represented his country in several international tournaments and is regarded as one of the best players in Fijian rugby history.
People
Ravan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ravan 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
Ravan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ravan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ravan 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 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Ravan a common name?
We classify Ravan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 231 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ravan most popular?
The single biggest year for Ravan was 1994, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ravan is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ravan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ravan 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.