Rihanna is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rihanna means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rihanna across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rihanna has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rihanna is a girl name of Arabic origin meaning “sweet basil”. A variant of Rayhana, popularized by the singer.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 6,617 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,718 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 103 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 132 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 194 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rihanna per year, United States (2000 to 2025). United States peaked in 2008 (1,080/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2007 (281/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (39/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2008 (30/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2008 (26/yr).
Rihanna has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2008, when it ranked #625 nationally (given to 1,440 babies that year).
Rohan · Rihana · Rehan · Rihaan · Rihan · Ruhaan · Rohaan · Rehanna
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