River
Gender-neutral name · French · Latin
Meaningriver · English
- US rank
- #111
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #105 in 2022
3,139 babies were named River in the US in 2025. It has climbed 18 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, 1988–2025
US births per million boys, 1971–2025
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 River you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous River
River Phoenix
American actor and musician (1970–2026
Choose River and your child shares a first name with River Phoenix, an American actor and musician (1970–2026. A ready-made answer when someone asks “River, like who?” River Phoenix's Wikipedia article is available in 61 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about River Phoenix on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Alekassoul, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 544 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named River, 3,139 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your River would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRiver first shows up in US birth records in 1971, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 54 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2022, when it reached #105.
- Then vs nowRiver is 11× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 6,254 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 544.
- Where it's lovedRiver is most popular in Arkansas, where it ranks #42, followed by West Virginia (#44) and Montana (#55). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- Boy or girlRiver is given to both boys and girls: 69% of the 4,540 babies named River in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
- MeaningIn English, River means “river”. Our records link it to French and Latin roots.
About the name River
River is a gender-neutral name of French and Latin origin meaning “river”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-ver”. US birth records list River for boys from 1971 to 2025, in 46 of those 55 years. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked #105 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #111, with 3,139 babies. Of the 4,540 US babies named River in 2025, 31% were girls and 69% were boys.
Origin:French namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.4 | 714,286 girls |
| 1990s | 15 | 66,489 girls |
| 2000s | 75 | 13,367 girls |
| 2010s | 472 | 2,119 girls |
| 2020s | 1,007 | 993 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8 | 562,500 boys |
| 1980s | 4.3 | 234,742 boys |
| 1990s | 106 | 9,452 boys |
| 2000s | 222 | 4,499 boys |
| 2010s | 743 | 1,345 boys |
| 2020s | 1,855 | 539 boys |
Other spellings of River
More French names
- Girl name: Charlotte · free
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Violet · violet flower
- Boy name: Sebastian · venerable
- Girl name: Camila · temple attendant
- Boy name: Leo · lion
- Boy name: Daniel · God is my judge
- Girl name: Ellie · possibly light
Questions about the name River
What does the name River mean?
River means “river” in English.
What is the origin of the name River?
River has French, Latin roots in our records. Other French names include Charlotte, Evelyn, Violet.
Is River a boy or girl name?
Both. River is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 31% of US babies named River were girls.
How popular is the name River?
River ranked #111 for US boys in 2025, given to 3,139 babies. Its best year was 2022 (#105).