Rhiannan
A feminine variant of the name Rhiannon of Welsh mythology.
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the first name Rhiannan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rhiannan today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rhiannan births was 1998 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rhiannan. 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
165
~ 1 in 2,077,299 Americans
Peak year
1998
14 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2009 SSA rank
#14,895
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Rhiannan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rhiannan from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 70 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
Rhiannan 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 Rhiannan 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 Rhiannan
The name Rhiannan originates from the Welsh language and is believed to have roots in the ancient Celtic culture. It is thought to be derived from the Welsh word "rhiain," meaning "great queen" or "princess." This suggests that the name may have been associated with royalty or nobility in its earliest usage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 5th century, when it was mentioned in the Welsh epic poem "Y Gododdin." This ancient text, which recounts the story of a British war-band from the region of modern-day Edinburgh, includes a reference to a character named Rhiannawg, which is believed to be an early variant of the name Rhiannan.
In the 12th century, the name gained prominence through its association with the legendary figure of Rhiannon, a central character in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales. Rhiannon is portrayed as a beautiful and powerful figure who marries a prince and becomes entangled in a complex narrative involving magic, betrayal, and redemption.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Rhiannan include Rhiannan Ferch Dafydd (c. 1350), a Welsh noblewoman and landowner during the late medieval period. Another notable bearer of the name was Rhiannan Verch Hywel (c. 1450), a Welsh poet and storyteller who was renowned for her contributions to the preservation of Welsh culture and language.
In the 16th century, Rhiannan Verch Ieuan (c. 1520-1580) was a prominent Welsh herbalist and healer, known for her extensive knowledge of traditional Welsh medicinal practices. Her legacy as a skilled practitioner of herbal remedies and folk medicine has been documented in various historical accounts.
Moving into the 19th century, Rhiannan Jones (1825-1901) was a Welsh educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools in Wales and was instrumental in promoting educational opportunities for girls and women during a time when access to education was limited for females.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Rhiannan, a name with deep roots in Welsh culture and mythology, reflecting its association with royalty, nobility, and the preservation of cultural traditions.
People
Rhiannan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rhiannan 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
Rhiannan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rhiannan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 165 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rhiannan 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 2,077,299 US residents.
Is Rhiannan a common name?
We classify Rhiannan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 171 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rhiannan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rhiannan was 1998, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rhiannan is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rhiannan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rhiannan 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.