Raven
Meaningraven · Old English
- US rank
- #404
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #139 in 1993
771 babies were named Raven in the US in 2025. It has climbed 13 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1941–2025
US births per million boys, 1921–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Raven you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Raven
Raven Goodwin
American actress
Choose Raven and your child shares a first name with Raven Goodwin, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Raven, like who?” Raven Goodwin's Wikipedia article is available in 20 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Raven Goodwin on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Danielle G. Campbell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 2,085 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Raven, 771 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Raven would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRaven first shows up in US birth records in 1921, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 104 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 1993, when it reached #139.
- Where it's lovedRaven is most popular in Alaska, where it ranks #134, followed by Maine (#176) and West Virginia (#181). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Old English, Raven means “raven”.
About the name Raven
Raven is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “raven”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-ven”. US birth records list Raven for girls from 1941 to 2025, in 82 of those 85 years. Its best year was 1993, when it ranked #139 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #404, with 771 babies.
Origin:Old English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3.7 | 267,857 girls |
| 1950s | 3.5 | 289,855 girls |
| 1960s | 7.7 | 129,199 girls |
| 1970s | 77 | 13,029 girls |
| 1980s | 231 | 4,325 girls |
| 1990s | 1,027 | 974 girls |
| 2000s | 547 | 1,829 girls |
| 2010s | 357 | 2,801 girls |
| 2020s | 487 | 2,054 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.5 | 2,000,000 boys |
| 1930s | 0.5 | 2,222,222 boys |
| 1940s | 3.5 | 282,486 boys |
| 1950s | 2.4 | 416,667 boys |
| 1960s | 4.4 | 229,358 boys |
| 1970s | 8.1 | 123,153 boys |
| 1980s | 10 | 95,420 boys |
| 1990s | 58 | 17,132 boys |
| 2000s | 52 | 19,410 boys |
| 2010s | 21 | 48,567 boys |
| 2020s | 26 | 37,999 boys |
Other spellings of Raven
More Old English girl names
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Hazel · hazel tree
- Girl name: Ivy · ivy plant
- Girl name: Daisy · day's eye
- Girl name: Audrey · noble strength
- Unisex name: Quinn · descendant of Conn
- Unisex name: Hadley · heather meadow
- Girl name: Summer · summer
Questions about the name Raven
What does the name Raven mean?
Raven means “raven” in Old English.
What is the origin of the name Raven?
Raven has Old English roots in our records. Other Old English names include Evelyn, Hazel, Ivy.
Is Raven a boy or girl name?
Raven is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Raven?
Raven ranked #404 for US girls in 2025, given to 771 babies. Its best year was 1993 (#139).