Rhiana
A feminine name derived from Rihanna, possibly meaning "sweet basil" or "fragrant plant".
Name Census estimates that about 1,019 living Americans carry the first name Rhiana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhiana today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhiana births was 2006 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhiana. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 336,363 Americans
Peak year
2006
75 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2014 SSA rank
#16,121
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Rhiana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhiana from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 428 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
Rhiana 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 Rhiana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rhianas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Rhiana, while New York, Ohio, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rhiana
The name Rhiana is believed to have originated from the Greek language. It is derived from the Greek word 'rheo', which means 'to flow'. The name is thought to have first emerged in ancient Greece during the classical period, around the 5th century BC.
In Greek mythology, Rhiana was the name of a nymph who was associated with rivers and streams. She was often depicted as a beautiful, graceful figure who danced alongside the flowing waters. The name may have been given to girls born near rivers or during times of heavy rainfall as a symbol of fertility and abundance.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Rhiana can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. He documented the name in his work 'The Histories', which chronicles the Greco-Persian Wars of the 5th century BC. However, it is unclear whether the name referred to a specific individual or was used as a general term for a river nymph.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rhiana. In the 3rd century AD, Rhiana of Caria was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of geometry. She is credited with developing several proofs and theorems that were widely used in ancient times.
During the Byzantine Empire, Rhiana Comnena was a prominent figure in the imperial court of the 12th century. She was a member of the influential Comnenus dynasty and served as a trusted advisor to several emperors. Rhiana Comnena was known for her intelligence, diplomatic skills, and her advocacy for women's education.
In the Renaissance period, Rhiana Calderini was an Italian humanist and scholar who lived in the 15th century. She was well-versed in classical literature and played a significant role in the revival of ancient Greek and Roman texts during the Renaissance era.
Another notable figure with the name Rhiana was Rhiana Echols, an American abolitionist and women's rights activist in the 19th century. She was a vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery and worked tirelessly to promote equality and social justice.
Lastly, Rhiana Gwilt was a British artist and sculptor active in the early 20th century. She was known for her intricate and lifelike sculptures, many of which depicted mythological and allegorical themes inspired by classical Greek and Roman art.
People
Rhiana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhiana 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
Rhiana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhiana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,019 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhiana 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 336,363 US residents.
Is Rhiana a common name?
We classify Rhiana as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,054 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhiana most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhiana was 2006, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhiana is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhiana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhiana 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.