Rilan
An invented name with an unknown meaning or origin.
Name Census estimates that about 245 living Americans carry the first name Rilan. It is a predominantly male name (91.9% of registrations). The average person named Rilan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rilan births was 2012 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rilan. 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
245
~ 1 in 1,398,997 Americans
Peak year
2012
23 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,741
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Rilan
Rilan leans heavily male at 91.9% of total registrations, but 20 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rilan as a male name
- Ranked #13,741 in 2023
- 5 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2012 (23 births)
Rilan as a female name
- Ranked #17,173 in 2021
- 5 female births in 2021
- Peak: 2006 (5 births)
Popularity
Rilan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rilan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 126 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rilan 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 Rilan 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 Rilan
The name Rilan is of ancient Sumerian origin, tracing its roots back to the Mesopotamian civilization that flourished in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers around 3500 BCE. The name is derived from the Sumerian word "ri-la," which means "to shine" or "to radiate," suggesting a connection to the sun, light, or brilliance.
In early Sumerian mythology, Rilan was associated with the sun god Utu, who was revered as the bringer of light, warmth, and life. The name was often given to children born during the summer solstice or in times of prosperity and abundance, symbolizing the fertility and vitality of the land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rilan can be found in the epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem dating back to around 2100 BCE. In the epic, Rilan is mentioned as a wise and respected elder in the city of Uruk, renowned for his knowledge and counsel.
Throughout history, the name Rilan has been carried by several notable individuals, including Rilan of Nineveh (c. 700 BCE), a renowned scholar and astronomer who made significant contributions to the understanding of the night sky and the movements of celestial bodies. Rilan the Scribe (c. 200 BCE) was a celebrated calligrapher and artist whose intricate works adorned the walls of ancient temples and palaces.
In the 5th century CE, Rilan of Alexandria was a renowned mathematician and philosopher who studied at the famed Library of Alexandria. His treatises on geometry and the nature of the universe were widely read and influential during the classical era.
During the Islamic Golden Age, Rilan ibn Haytham (c. 965-1040 CE) was a renowned polymath and scholar who made significant contributions to the fields of physics, mathematics, and optics. His work on the nature of light and vision laid the foundations for modern scientific theories.
In more recent times, Rilan Abdurrahman (1910-1992) was a prominent political leader and advocate for independence in his native Indonesia, playing a crucial role in the country's struggle for freedom from Dutch colonial rule.
While the name Rilan has ancient roots and a rich historical legacy, it has become less common in modern times, perhaps due to the decline of ancient Sumerian culture and the influence of other naming traditions. However, its enduring connection to the concepts of light, wisdom, and enlightenment continues to make it a unique and meaningful choice for those seeking a name with a deep and fascinating history.
People
Rilan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rilan 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
Rilan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rilan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 245 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rilan 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 1,398,997 US residents.
Is Rilan a common name?
We classify Rilan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 247 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rilan most popular?
The single biggest year for Rilan was 2012, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rilan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rilan a male name?
Yes, 91.9% of people registered as Rilan 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.