Ridwaan
An Arabic masculine name meaning "two gardens" or "two meadows".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Ridwaan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ridwaan today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ridwaan births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ridwaan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ridwaan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ridwaan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,846
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Ridwaan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ridwaan from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 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
Ridwaan 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 Ridwaan 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 Ridwaan
The name Ridwaan has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Arabic word "ridwan," which means "paradise" or "garden of bliss." The name carries a strong connection to Islamic culture and beliefs.
In Islamic tradition, Ridwan is the name of the angel who guards the gates of Paradise. The name is mentioned in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, and is considered a blessed and auspicious name. This association has contributed to its popularity among Muslim communities worldwide.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ridwaan can be found in historical literature from the 8th century. A notable figure bearing this name was Ridwan ibn al-Walid, a military commander who served under the Abbasid Caliphate during the 8th century. He is renowned for his role in the Abbasid Revolution, which led to the establishment of the Abbasid Dynasty.
Another historical figure with the name Ridwaan was Ridwan al-Samarkandi, a renowned Islamic scholar and mathematician who lived in the 11th century. He made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics, and his works were widely studied in the Islamic world.
In the realm of literature, Ridwaan al-Hamadani was a renowned Persian poet who lived in the 10th century. He was revered for his mastery of the Arabic language and his poetic works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Ridwaan was also popular among the ruling elite. One notable figure was Ridwan Pasha, a 16th-century Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
In more recent times, Ridwaan Jadwat was a South African anti-apartheid activist and writer who played a significant role in the struggle against racial segregation in the 20th century. He was born in 1920 and dedicated his life to advocating for human rights and social justice.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Ridwaan. The name's rich cultural and religious heritage, combined with its association with paradise and bliss, has made it a popular choice among Muslim communities worldwide.
People
Ridwaan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ridwaan 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
Ridwaan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ridwaan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ridwaan 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Ridwaan a common name?
We classify Ridwaan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ridwaan most popular?
The single biggest year for Ridwaan was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ridwaan is about 12 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 Ridwaan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ridwaan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ridwaan in the SSA data are male. 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 Ridwaan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ridwaan 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 Ridwaan 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 named Ridwaan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.