Raydene
A feminine name meaning "radiant" and "valley".
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Raydene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raydene today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raydene births was 1953 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raydene. 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
- • The typical person named Raydene is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Raydenes were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Raydene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1953
7 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1964 SSA rank
#7,553
Tracked since 1941
Census
Raydene in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 105 people with the first name Raydene, which placed it at #52,717 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#52,717
National first-name rank
People counted
105
105 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
78.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raydene
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raydene is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (6.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Raydene described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Raydene at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 82
- Black or African American8.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Popularity
Raydene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raydene from the 1940s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 17 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Raydene 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 Raydene 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 Raydene
The name Raydene is a relatively modern combination name, believed to have originated in the early to mid-20th century. It is a blend of the English names Ray and Dene, both of which have distinct origins and meanings.
Ray is derived from the Old English word "ræg," which means "roe deer" or "ray of light." This name was commonly used as a diminutive form of the name Raymond, which has French origins and means "protecting hands." Dene, on the other hand, comes from the Old English word "denu," which refers to a valley or a deep, wooded glen.
While the name Raydene does not have a long historical lineage, its components have roots in various cultural and linguistic traditions. The name Ray has been recorded in English records since the 12th century, while Dene can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon settlements in England.
In terms of historical references, the name Raydene itself does not appear to have any significant mentions in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. However, its component names have been used by notable figures throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Raydene can be found in the United States in the early 20th century. Raydene Schroeder, born in 1922, was an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films during the 1940s and 1950s.
Another notable bearer of the name Raydene was Raydene Hansen, an American ice skater who competed in the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics. She won a silver medal in the pairs event with her partner, David Jenkins, at the 1956 Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Raydene Thompson, born in 1935, was an Australian sprinter who participated in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics. She won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia.
In the world of literature, Raydene Salinas was an American author and poet known for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and family. Her poetry collection "The Weight of Oranges" was published in 1987.
Lastly, Raydene Roberta Griffith, born in 1925, was an American politician who served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1986, representing the 37th district.
While the name Raydene may not have a long and storied history, its unique blend of English roots and the achievements of those who have borne it have contributed to its distinct character and place in the modern name landscape.
People
Raydene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raydene 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
Raydene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raydene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raydene 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Raydene a common name?
We classify Raydene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raydene most popular?
The single biggest year for Raydene was 1953, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raydene is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Raydene in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 105 people with the name Raydene, or 0.03 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #52,717 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Raydene in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Raydene?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Raydene leans strongly female. 96 people counted with this name were female (96.0%), compared with 4 male bearers (4.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Raydene?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raydene is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Hispanic (6.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Raydene most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Raydene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (82 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Raydene in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Raydene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raydene 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.
Is Raydene still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Raydene 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 Raydene 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.
How many people share the name Raydene?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.