Reham
An Arabic feminine name meaning "merciful" or "compassionate".
Name Census estimates that about 373 living Americans carry the first name Reham. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Reham today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reham births was 2018 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reham. 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
373
~ 1 in 918,912 Americans
Peak year
2018
19 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,076
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Reham: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reham from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 149 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Reham remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reham 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 Reham during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rehams live
Origin
Meaning and history of Reham
The name Reham has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "rahima," which means "to have mercy" or "to be compassionate." This name gained popularity in the Middle East and North Africa regions where Arabic is widely spoken.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reham can be found in ancient Arabic literature and poetry. It was often used as a poetic term to describe someone with a kind and merciful nature. The name held significance in the Islamic faith, as compassion and mercy are highly valued virtues in the religion.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Reham. One of the earliest recorded figures was Reham al-Basri (642-728 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Basra, Iraq. She was highly respected for her knowledge of Islamic law and her contributions to the study of hadith (the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad).
Another prominent figure was Reham Khansa (575-646 CE), an influential Arab poet from the pre-Islamic era. She was renowned for her elegies and her poetic prowess, which earned her the title "The Princess of Arab Poets." Her poetry often touched upon themes of loss, grief, and the strength of the human spirit.
In the 12th century, Reham al-Din al-Suyuti (1445-1505 CE) was a renowned Egyptian scholar, jurist, and polymath. He made significant contributions to various fields, including Islamic jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis, and Arabic grammar. His works were widely studied and revered in the Islamic world.
During the Ottoman Empire, Reham Sultan (1642-1714) was a prominent figure in the imperial harem. She was the consort of Sultan Mehmed IV and had a significant influence on the political affairs of the empire during her lifetime.
In more recent times, Reham Khan (born 1973) is a Pakistani journalist, broadcaster, and former wife of the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. She gained prominence for her work in television and her involvement in political and humanitarian causes.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Reham. While the name has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has transcended borders and has been embraced by people from various backgrounds and ethnicities around the world.
People
Reham + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reham 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
Reham: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reham?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 373 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reham 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 918,912 US residents.
Is Reham a common name?
We classify Reham as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 378 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reham most popular?
The single biggest year for Reham was 2018, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reham is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Reham a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reham 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.