Reeva
A feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "Raivata", meaning "illustrious" or "brilliant".
Name Census estimates that about 653 living Americans carry the first name Reeva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reeva today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reeva births was 2024 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reeva. 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
653
~ 1 in 524,892 Americans
Peak year
2024
65 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,680
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Reeva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reeva from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 279 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Reeva remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reeva 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 Reeva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Reevas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Reeva, while Pennsylvania, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Reeva
The name Reeva is a relatively modern and uncommon name, with its origins and meaning shrouded in some mystery. It is believed to have originated in South Africa, potentially derived from the Afrikaans language or a blend of other African languages.
One theory suggests that Reeva may be a variation of the name Reva, which itself is derived from the Sanskrit word "revi," meaning "stream" or "river." This connection to natural elements and water could be a symbolic representation of the flow of life or purity.
Another possible origin is that Reeva is a combination of two words or roots from African languages, such as "ree" and "va," although the precise meanings of these components are uncertain. Some speculate that "ree" could be related to concepts like "journey" or "path," while "va" might signify "new" or "beginning."
Despite its relatively recent emergence, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Reeva. One of the most widely recognized was Reeva Steenkamp (1983-2013), a South African model and reality TV personality who tragically lost her life in a high-profile incident.
Another individual with this name was Reeva Alec Lukin (1923-2008), a British woman who served as a codebreaker at Bletchley Park during World War II, contributing to the efforts that helped decrypt German communications.
In the literary world, Reeva Brooks (1932-2003) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on topics ranging from travel to personal finance.
Reeva Aisha Alawa (born 1978) is a prominent Australian social entrepreneur and advocate for gender equality and education, known for her work in promoting empowerment and sustainable development initiatives.
Historically, there are few other well-known figures with the name Reeva, as its usage appears to be relatively recent and localized, primarily in certain regions of Africa and among communities with connections to those areas.
People
Reeva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reeva 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
Reeva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reeva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 653 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reeva 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 524,892 US residents.
Is Reeva a common name?
We classify Reeva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 783 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reeva most popular?
The single biggest year for Reeva was 2024, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reeva is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reeva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reeva 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.