Rayonna
A combination of the names "Ray" and "Anna", possibly of American origin.
Name Census estimates that about 976 living Americans carry the first name Rayonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rayonna today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rayonna births was 2007 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rayonna. 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
976
~ 1 in 351,183 Americans
Peak year
2007
60 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,090
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Rayonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rayonna from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 475 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rayonna 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 Rayonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rayonnas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida recorded the most babies named Rayonna, while New York, California, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rayonna
Rayonna is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, with various theories suggesting possible roots in different languages and cultures. One theory traces its origins to the Sanskrit word "rayana," meaning "path" or "way," hinting at a spiritual or philosophical significance. Another possibility is that it derives from the Old French word "rayon," meaning "ray" or "beam," symbolizing radiance or light.
In medieval times, a variation of the name, "Raionna," appeared in some historical records from the Occitan region of southern France. However, there is little concrete evidence of its widespread use during this period. The earliest documented instances of the name Rayonna itself date back to the late 19th century, particularly in parts of the United States.
One notable individual with the name Rayonna was Rayonna Wilburn, an African American activist and civil rights leader born in 1935 in Mississippi. She played a pivotal role in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the 1960s, advocating for racial equality and voter registration drives in the South.
In the realm of literature, Rayonna Phelps was an American author and poet born in 1943, known for her poignant works exploring themes of identity, family, and the African American experience. Her poetry collection, "Shadows on the Wall," published in 1987, received critical acclaim.
Another notable figure was Rayonna Crosby, a pioneering aviator and one of the first African American women to earn a commercial pilot's license. Born in 1920 in Louisiana, she overcame significant obstacles to pursue her passion for flying and paved the way for future generations of female pilots.
In the field of science, Rayonna Sharpnack, an American chemist born in 1965, made significant contributions to the study of organic semiconductors and their applications in electronic devices. Her research has been widely published and has advanced our understanding of these materials.
Lastly, Rayonna Galante, a Canadian dancer and choreographer born in 1978, gained recognition for her innovative and boundary-pushing contemporary dance performances. Her work has been featured in numerous festivals and venues around the world, celebrating the expressive power of movement.
People
Rayonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rayonna 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
Rayonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rayonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 976 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rayonna 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 351,183 US residents.
Is Rayonna a common name?
We classify Rayonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 991 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rayonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Rayonna was 2007, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rayonna is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rayonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rayonna 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.