Riven
A name derived from the word "rive," meaning to tear or split apart.
Name Census estimates that about 440 living Americans carry the first name Riven. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 57.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Riven today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Riven births was 2023 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Riven. 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 Riven with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
440
~ 1 in 778,987 Americans
Peak year
2023
75 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,752
Tracked since 2008
Gender
Gender distribution for Riven
Riven is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 443 total registrations, 255 (57.6%) were male and 188 (42.4%) were female.
Riven as a male name
- Ranked #3,752 in 2024
- 30 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (55 births)
Riven as a female name
- Ranked #5,558 in 2024
- 23 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (24 births)
Popularity
Riven: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Riven from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 266 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
Riven 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 Riven 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 Riven
The name Riven is a modern English name with no definitive origin or historical roots. It is likely a recently coined name, possibly derived from the English word "riven," which means "split apart" or "torn asunder." However, there are no clear historical references or ancient texts that this name can be traced back to.
While the name Riven itself does not have a long historical lineage, it may have been inspired by names from other cultures or languages. For example, in Sanskrit, the name "Rivan" means "one who sings or chants," which could be a potential source of inspiration. Additionally, in Old English, the word "riven" meant "to tear or split," which aligns with the modern English meaning of the word.
Despite its relatively recent origins, there are a few notable individuals who have borne the name Riven throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Riven Taylor, an American architect born in 1884 who designed several notable buildings in the early 20th century.
Another notable individual with the name Riven is Riven Flanders, a Belgian painter and sculptor born in 1923. Flanders gained recognition for his abstract expressionist works and held numerous exhibitions throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the literary world, Riven Locksley is a fictional character from the popular fantasy novel series "The Dragonriders of Pern" by Anne McCaffrey. Locksley was a skilled harper and dragonrider in the series, which was first published in the late 1960s.
Moving into more recent times, Riven Chidley is a British actress born in 1978 who has appeared in several television shows and films, including "The Crown" and "Downton Abbey."
Finally, Riven Marley is a contemporary American musician and songwriter born in 1986. Marley is known for her unique blend of folk and alternative rock styles and has released several critically acclaimed albums since the early 2010s.
While the name Riven may be relatively new and lack a deep historical lineage, it has been adopted by individuals across various professions and creative fields, potentially reflecting its modern and distinctive quality.
People
Riven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Riven 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
Riven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Riven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 440 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Riven 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 778,987 US residents.
Is Riven a common name?
We classify Riven as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 443 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Riven most popular?
The single biggest year for Riven was 2023, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Riven is about 6 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 Riven in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Riven a male name?
Yes, 57.6% of people registered as Riven 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 Riven still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Riven 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 Riven 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 have the name Riven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.