Rayan
Rayan was the 588th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 499 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 561st; the most babies were born in 2023 (518). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4 places. More babies were named Rayan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning well-watered (Arabic) · Arabic
Say it ray-AHN /reɪˈɑn/
- Rank in 2025
- #588 boys, up 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 499boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023518 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,953babies recorded
What does the name Rayan mean?
Rayan is from Arabic Rayyān, which Wiktionary derives from rayy, watering, with the adjective ending -ān. As an adjective it means well-watered or well-irrigated, and also plump. In Islamic tradition, al-Rayyān is the gate of paradise reserved for those who fasted. Wiktionary notes that the Arabic name is also written Ryan in English, though it is unrelated to the Irish surname Ryan.
رَيَّان (Arabic, “well-watered, irrigated”)رَيّ (Arabic, “watering”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only.
Related names: Rayyan, Rayaan.
See also: Arabic names, names that mean water.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rayan' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'ريان' (Arabic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Rayan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,150 | #588 | 35 | 499 |
| 2020 | #4,423 | #617 | 31 | 442 |
| 2010 | #3,875 | #762 | 40 | 295 |
| 2000 | #5,889 | #2,010 | 19 | 51 |
| 1990 | #14,660 | #3,143 | 5 | 20 |
| 1980 | — | #6,069 | — | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Rayan, counting every spelling?
Rayan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #406 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #588 for Rayan on its own. Together these spellings went to 804 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rayan | 499 | #588 | 2,362 |
| Rayyan | 224 | #1,010 | 803 |
| Rayaan | 63 | #2,247 | 337 |
| Rayon | 6 | #11,698 | 55 |
| Raayan | 7 | #10,427 | 26 |
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 Rayan?
499 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rayan (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Rayan 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rayan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rayan?
About 8,800 people born in the US named Rayan are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 15. That makes Rayan a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Rayan by state
How common Rayan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (2.5×), Virginia (2.4×), New Jersey (2.4×), Illinois (2.0×), Massachusetts (2.0×). In 23 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rayan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rayan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rayan · Sibling names for Rayan
Questions about the name Rayan
What does Rayan mean?
Rayan means “well-watered (Arabic)” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Rayan?
Rayan was the 588th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 499 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 561st; the most babies were born in 2023 (518). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4 places. More babies were named Rayan in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Rayan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Rayan in the US.
Where is Rayan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rayan was most common in District of Columbia (0.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Virginia.