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Name Lineage

    The first name Raven

    A girl’s name.

    2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    A female given name from English, usually for a girl with raven hair, used since the 1970s.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 90 girls were named Raven, making it the 444th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 106 births (#419).

    0100200 1996200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    1,502
    babies named Raven, 1996–2025
    #444
    rank in 2025
    2021
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Raven with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Raven at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 771 girls born in the United States were named Raven, the 404th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1993, when 2,285 were.

    01,5003,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    48,253
    babies named Raven since 1880
    #404
    rank in 2025
    1993
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Raven

    8 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Raven-Symoné
      American actress, singer, and songwriter, born 1985
    • Raven Saunders
      American shot putter, born 1996
    • Raven Goodwin
      American actress, born 1992
    • Raven Alexis
      American pornographic actress (1987–2022)
    • Raven De La Croix
      American actress, born 1947
    • Raven Rockette
      American pornographic actress, born 1994
    • Richard Lee Steele
      American actress, born 1986
    • Anthony Crosland
      British politician (1918–1977)

    Questions

    How popular is the name Raven?
    In 2025, 90 girls born in England and Wales were named Raven, ranking 444th. Its peak was 2021, with 106 births.
    Is Raven a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 48,253 US babies named Raven since 1880, 93% were girls and 7% boys.
    When was Raven most popular?
    1993 in the United States, when 2,285 babies were named Raven, its highest rank at 139th.
    What are other spellings of Raven?
    Rayven and Reighven.
    Is Raven also a surname?
    Yes. Raven is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.