Rihana
A feminine Arabic name derived from Rihaan meaning "pleasant fragrance" or "basil".
Name Census estimates that about 679 living Americans carry the first name Rihana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rihana today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rihana births was 2007 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rihana. 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
679
~ 1 in 504,793 Americans
Peak year
2007
84 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,405
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Rihana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rihana from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 352 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
Rihana 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 Rihana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rihanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Rihana, while Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rihana
The name Rihana is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "rayhan," which means "basil" or "sweet basil" in Arabic. It is a feminine name that has been used in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa for centuries.
In Arabic culture, the name Rihana is often associated with fragrance, beauty, and purity, as the basil plant is revered for its aroma and medicinal properties. The name has roots in ancient Arabic poetry, where it was used as a metaphor for a beautiful and graceful woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rihana can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. In the Qur'an, the word "rayhan" is mentioned in reference to the gardens of paradise, further solidifying its association with beauty and tranquility.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Rihana. One of the earliest known was Rihana bint Zayd (610-670 AD), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the earliest female scholars of Islam. She was known for her knowledge of hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and her contributions to Islamic jurisprudence.
Another famous Rihana was Rihana al-Muqaddasiyya (1088-1157), a renowned female scholar and poet from Jerusalem. She was highly respected for her expertise in Arabic literature and Islamic studies, and her works were widely read and studied throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, Rihana bint al-Malik al-Afdal (1190-1262) was a prominent figure in the Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt and Syria. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of scholars and poets, earning her the nickname "the Lady of the Two Sanctuaries" (Mecca and Medina).
Rihana al-Tawhidiyya (1444-1522) was a Sufi mystic and poet from Syria who gained fame for her spiritual writings and her dedication to the mystical path of Islam. Her poetry was widely celebrated for its depth and beauty.
In the 19th century, Rihana al-Yaziji (1860-1924) was a pioneering Syrian writer, journalist, and feminist. She played a significant role in the Arab literary renaissance and was an advocate for women's education and empowerment in the Middle East.
These are just a few examples of notable figures throughout history who have borne the name Rihana, a name that has carried with it a rich cultural heritage and associations with beauty, fragrance, and intellectual pursuits.
People
Rihana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rihana 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
Rihana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rihana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 679 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rihana 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 504,793 US residents.
Is Rihana a common name?
We classify Rihana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 689 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rihana most popular?
The single biggest year for Rihana was 2007, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rihana is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rihana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rihana 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.