Raven
Raven was the 404th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 771 babies. Its best year was 1993, when it ranked 139th with 2,285 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 83 places. More babies were named Raven in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning raven (the bird) · English, Old English
Say it RAY-vun /ˈreɪvən/
- Rank in 2025
- #404 girls, up 13 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 771girls
- Girls and boys
- 94% girls, 6% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19932,285 babies
- Total since 1880
- 48,253babies recorded
What does the name Raven mean?
Raven is the name of the large black bird, from Old English hræfn, used as a given name. Wiktionary notes it has been used for girls since the 1970s, usually for a girl with dark hair, and also for boys; Old Norse Hrafn was a man's name in medieval Scandinavia. The TV series That's So Raven (2003) kept it visible.
hræfn (Old English, “raven”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: English names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Raven', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'raven', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Raven popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #404 | #2,973 | 771 | 42 |
| 2020 | #417 | #2,965 | 749 | 40 |
| 2010 | #601 | #2,998 | 488 | 39 |
| 2000 | #215 | #900 | 1,447 | 173 |
| 1990 | #166 | #1,431 | 1,760 | 62 |
| 1980 | #499 | #2,346 | 408 | 22 |
| 1970 | #6,221 | #2,482 | 8 | 15 |
| 1960 | #4,105 | #2,826 | 11 | 10 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Raven, counting every spelling?
Raven is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #391 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #404 for Raven on its own. Together these spellings went to 844 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raven | 771 | #404 | 3,986 |
| Ravyn | 66 | #2,639 | 337 |
| Ravynn | 7 | #12,892 | 27 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Raven?
771 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Raven (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Raven born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Raven.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Raven?
About 44,100 people born in the US named Raven are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 17 and 33. That makes Raven mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Raven by state
How common Raven was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.4×), Maine (3.3×), Oregon (2.6×), New Mexico (2.5×), Oklahoma (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Raven: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Raven, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Raven · Sibling names for Raven
Questions about the name Raven
What does Raven mean?
Raven means “raven (the bird)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Raven?
Raven was the 404th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 771 babies. Its best year was 1993, when it ranked 139th with 2,285 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 83 places. More babies were named Raven in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Raven a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 94% girls, 6% boys given the name Raven in the US.
Where is Raven most popular?
In 2021–2025, Raven was most common in Alaska (1.98 per 1,000 girls), followed by West Virginia and Maine.