Fun Facts About the Name Raheem
- More than 8 thousand babies named Raheem: U.S. records list 8,527 babies given the name Raheem from 1880 through 2025. Even 6 girls received the name Raheem - about 1 girl for every 1,420 boys.
What Does the Name Raheem Mean?
Raheem is an Arabic name meaning "merciful" or "compassionate." It is an English transliteration of the Arabic Raḥīm (رحيم), an adjective from the root r-ḥ-m, which also yields raḥmah ("mercy"). In Arabic usage, raḥīm is commonly understood as an intensive adjective, describing one who is abundantly or continually merciful. The same adjective forms the divine name al-Raḥīm, usually translated "the Most Merciful" or "the Merciful." As a human name, Raheem carries that meaning without the definite article; compound names such as ʿAbd al-Raḥīm mean "servant of the Most Merciful." The spelling Raheem represents the long Arabic vowel ī with ee; Rahim is another common transliteration.
Raheem Name History & Origins
The name comes from Arabic Raḥīm, not from an independent English root. Its religious importance is tied to the Qur'anic phrase Bismillāhi al-Raḥmāni al-Raḥīm ("In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"), where al-Raḥīm is paired with al-Raḥmān. Both names derive from the same root r-ḥ-m, but they are distinct words and are not interchangeable in Arabic. The name is used as a given name in Arabic-speaking countries and in Muslim communities in South Asia, either alone or in compounds; ʿAbd al-Raḥīm ("servant of the Most Merciful") is especially common. A historical bearer of the compound form was the Mughal noble and general Abd al-Rahim Khan-i Khanan. In English and other Latin-script languages, the Arabic name has been spelled in various ways, including Rahim and Raheem. The Raheem spelling is a transliteration choice, not a separate name with its own etymology.
How Popular is the Name Raheem?
Raheem recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1993. Its best rank was #417 in 1993.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | #10,125 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,442 | 125 | 0.0073% |
| 2024 | #1,381 | 136 | 0.0079% |
| 2023 | #1,243 | 157 | 0.0092% |
| 2022 | #1,249 | 157 | 0.0090% |
| 2021 | #1,235 | 156 | 0.0089% |
| 2020 | #1,106 | 179 | 0.0104% |
| 2019 | #1,105 | 179 | 0.0100% |
| 2018 | #1,137 | 170 | 0.0094% |
| 2017 | #1,062 | 187 | 0.0101% |
| 2016 | #1,200 | 158 | 0.0083% |
| 2015 | #1,215 | 152 | 0.0079% |
| 2014 | #1,223 | 150 | 0.0078% |
| 2013 | #1,302 | 133 | 0.0070% |
| 2012 | #1,335 | 128 | 0.0067% |
| 2011 | #1,308 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 2010 | #1,396 | 120 | 0.0063% |
| 2009 | #1,408 | 121 | 0.0061% |
| 2008 | #1,258 | 139 | 0.0068% |
| 2007 | #1,410 | 116 | 0.0056% |
| 2006 | #1,356 | 120 | 0.0058% |
| 2005 | #1,459 | 101 | 0.0051% |
| 2004 | #1,411 | 101 | 0.0051% |
| 2003 | #1,217 | 121 | 0.0061% |
| 2002 | #1,047 | 147 | 0.0076% |
| 2001 | #1,033 | 143 | 0.0074% |
| 2000 | #916 | 169 | 0.0086% |
| 1999 | #830 | 183 | 0.0095% |
| 1998 | #737 | 221 | 0.0116% |
| 1997 | #710 | 223 | 0.0118% |
| 1996 | #625 | 278 | 0.0147% |
| 1995 | #571 | 321 | 0.0169% |
| 1994 | #515 | 384 | 0.0199% |
| 1993 | #417 | 556 | 0.0283% |
| 1992 | #509 | 395 | 0.0198% |
| 1991 | #688 | 217 | 0.0107% |
| 1990 | #772 | 174 | 0.0085% |
| 1989 | #798 | 156 | 0.0078% |
| 1988 | #940 | 105 | 0.0055% |
| 1987 | #887 | 112 | 0.0060% |
| 1986 | #1,035 | 81 | 0.0044% |
| 1985 | #969 | 89 | 0.0048% |
| 1984 | #982 | 83 | 0.0046% |
| 1983 | #799 | 121 | 0.0067% |
| 1982 | #781 | 127 | 0.0070% |
| 1981 | #700 | 154 | 0.0086% |
| 1980 | #698 | 156 | 0.0087% |
| 1979 | #809 | 117 | 0.0068% |
| 1978 | #825 | 108 | 0.0066% |
| 1977 | #699 | 148 | 0.0090% |
| 1976 | #1,018 | 67 | 0.0043% |
| 1975 | #992 | 69 | 0.0044% |
| 1974 | #1,212 | 48 | 0.0031% |
| 1973 | #1,161 | 51 | 0.0033% |
| 1972 | #1,358 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 1971 | #3,100 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #2,482 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1969 | #2,820 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1964 | #4,475 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Raheem Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Raheem's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Raheem's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.