Rihaan
A masculine Arabic name meaning "pleasant fragrance" or "sweet basil".
Name Census estimates that about 652 living Americans carry the first name Rihaan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rihaan today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rihaan births was 2019 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rihaan. 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
652
~ 1 in 525,697 Americans
Peak year
2019
75 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,651
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Rihaan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rihaan from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 344 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
Rihaan 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 Rihaan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rihaans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, Texas, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Rihaan, while Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 27 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rihaan
The name Rihaan has its roots in the Arabic language and culture. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the regions of the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, during the medieval period.
The name Rihaan is derived from the Arabic word "rihan," which means "basil" or "sweet basil." This herb holds significant importance in Arabic culture, symbolizing hospitality, love, and prosperity. The name itself is a testament to the reverence for nature and its bountiful gifts.
While there are no explicit references to the name Rihaan in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to the Arabic language and the cultural significance of basil can be traced back to the early Islamic era and the spread of the Arabic language across the Middle East and beyond.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Rihaan was Rihaan al-Azdi, a renowned Arab poet who lived during the 7th century CE. His poetic works celebrated the beauty of the Arabic language and the richness of the desert landscape.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Rihaan. One such individual was Rihaan al-Bukhari (1126-1209 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from Bukhara, in present-day Uzbekistan. His contributions to the study of Islamic jurisprudence and hadith (prophetic traditions) were highly influential.
In the realm of literature, Rihaan al-Maaluf (1876-1945), a Lebanese writer and poet, left an indelible mark on the Arabic literary world. His works explored themes of identity, nationalism, and the complexities of the human experience.
Another prominent figure was Rihaan Khan (1923-2014), a Pakistani cricketer who captained the national team in the 1950s and later served as a cricket administrator. His leadership and dedication to the sport earned him widespread respect and admiration.
Rihaan al-Zahawi (1938-2020) was an Iraqi-born British novelist and poet, known for his poignant exploration of exile, displacement, and cultural identity in his literary works.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Rihaan, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human culture and achievement.
People
Rihaan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rihaan 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
Rihaan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rihaan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 652 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rihaan 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 525,697 US residents.
Is Rihaan a common name?
We classify Rihaan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 657 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rihaan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rihaan was 2019, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rihaan is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rihaan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rihaan 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.
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.