Rayan
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "prosperous" or "contented".
Name Census estimates that about 9,328 living Americans carry the first name Rayan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.1% of registrations being male. The average person named Rayan today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rayan births was 2016 (568 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rayan. 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
- • Rayan is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 12 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
9.3K
~ 1 in 36,745 Americans
Peak year
2016
568 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#579
Tracked since 1973
Gender
Gender distribution for Rayan
Rayan leans heavily male at 89.1% of total registrations, but 1,023 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rayan as a male name
- Ranked #579 in 2024
- 491 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (518 births)
Rayan as a female name
- Ranked #5,905 in 2024
- 21 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (61 births)
Popularity
Rayan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rayan from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 4,722 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rayan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayan 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 Rayan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rayans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 31 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Rayan, while Iowa, Alabama, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 239 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rayan
The name Rayan is derived from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle East. It is believed to have originated during the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th centuries. The name is a variation of the Arabic word "rayyan," which means "fresh water" or "paradise."
Rayan was a relatively uncommon name in ancient times, but it gained popularity during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the works of the renowned Persian poet Rumi (1207-1273). Rumi's poetry often featured symbolic references to water and paradise, making the name Rayan a fitting choice for characters in his writings.
In the 14th century, a famous Islamic scholar and philosopher from Persia, known as Rayan al-Din al-Ghazali (1284-1349), gained widespread recognition for his contributions to Islamic theology and philosophy. His works, particularly his treatise on the "Revival of the Religious Sciences," had a profound impact on Islamic thought and scholarship.
During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa from the 14th to the early 20th century, the name Rayan was occasionally used by members of the ruling elite. One notable example is Rayan Pasha (1523-1582), a prominent Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier, the highest-ranking political advisor to the Sultan.
In more recent history, Rayan Cherki (born 2003) is a French professional footballer of Algerian descent who plays as a forward for Olympique Lyonnais. He is considered one of the most promising young talents in European football and has represented France at various youth levels.
Another notable figure with the name Rayan is Rayan Rayyan (born 1985), a Jordanian-American actor and comedian. He has appeared in various television shows and films, including the critically acclaimed series "Ramy," where he played the role of Ahmed.
While the name Rayan has its origins in the Middle East, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world due to cultural exchange and migration. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply connected to the rich cultural heritage of the Arabic-speaking world.
People
Rayan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rayan 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
Rayan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rayan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,328 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rayan 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 36,745 US residents.
Is Rayan a common name?
We classify Rayan as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,417 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rayan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rayan was 2016, when 568 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rayan is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rayan a male name?
Yes, 89.1% of people registered as Rayan 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.
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.