Rhenn
A modern invented name likely derived from the Welsh word "rhen" meaning ardent.
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Rhenn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Rhenn today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhenn births was 2022 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhenn. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rhenn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
2022
7 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,664
Tracked since 2018
Gender
Gender distribution for Rhenn
Rhenn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 22 total registrations, 5 (22.7%) were male and 17 (77.3%) were female.
Rhenn as a male name
- Ranked #13,664 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (5 births)
Rhenn as a female name
- Ranked #17,112 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (7 births)
Popularity
Rhenn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhenn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, 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
Rhenn 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 Rhenn 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 Rhenn
The name Rhenn is believed to have originated from the ancient Gaelic language, which was spoken in parts of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man during the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "riadh," which means "grey" or "grizzled," potentially referring to the color of one's hair or complexion.
In the early centuries of the first millennium, the name Rhenn was relatively uncommon, but it gained some prominence among the Celtic tribes inhabiting the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle compiled by Irish monks in the 15th century, which mentions a warrior named Rhenn mac Conall who fought in a battle against the Vikings in the year 856 AD.
As the centuries passed, the name Rhenn continued to be used sporadically among Celtic populations, particularly in Ireland and Scotland. In the 12th century, a Scottish poet and bard named Rhenn Dubh is mentioned in several historical accounts, though little is known about his life and works.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained some popularity in parts of Europe, albeit in slightly modified forms. In Italy, for instance, a scholar and humanist named Renato Rhenio (1500-1580) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature.
Moving into the modern era, one of the most notable individuals bearing the name Rhenn was Rhenn Stallard (1919-2012), a British painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraiture. Other individuals of note include Rhenn Woodard (1923-2003), an American author and journalist, and Rhenn Kavanagh (born 1968), an Irish musician and songwriter.
While the name Rhenn has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has persisted as a unique and intriguing moniker, carrying with it the echoes of ancient Celtic heritage and a connection to the natural world through its association with the color grey.
People
Rhenn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhenn 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
Rhenn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhenn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhenn 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 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Rhenn a common name?
We classify Rhenn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhenn most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhenn was 2022, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhenn is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Rhenn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rhenn a female name?
Yes, 77.3% of people registered as Rhenn 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 Rhenn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rhenn 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 Rhenn 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Rhenn?
You can see how many people share the name Rhenn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.