Fun Facts About the Name Rehan
- More than 1 thousand babies named Rehan: U.S. records list 1,488 babies given the name Rehan from 1880 through 2025. Even 28 girls received the name Rehan - about 1 girl for every 52 boys.
What Does the Name Rehan Mean?
Rehan is a spelling of the Arabic name Rayḥān (ريحان), which means "fragrant herb" or "basil" - an aromatic plant valued for its scent. It comes from the Arabic root r-y-ḥ, the same root behind rīḥ ("wind") and rāʾiḥa ("smell, scent"), so the literal sense is about fragrance.
The word rayḥān appears in the Quran in Surah Ar-Rahman (55:12), where it is commonly translated "fragrant plants" or "sweet-smelling herbs." That literal meaning is sometimes broadened in popular explanation to ideas of sweetness or pleasantness, but the herb sense is the base of the name. The root r-y-ḥ is not the same as r-w-ḥ, the root of rūḥ ("spirit") and rāḥa ("rest"), though the two are frequently confused in folk etymologies that read the name as "spiritual."
Rehan Name History & Origins
The Arabic noun rayḥān was in use as a personal name in the early Islamic period, since plant and scent words were common sources of names. The name spread with Arabic into Persia and the wider region; in Persian the word reyhān simply means basil and is also used as a given name, usually for women. Turkish uses the form Reyhan, likewise meaning basil and also often feminine.
The spelling Rehan reflects South Asian pronunciation and transliteration of the Arabic name, in the Persian-influenced Urdu milieu, where the short a sounds are written as e. In South Asia the name is generally used for men, and it traveled with South Asian families to Britain, North America, and the Gulf. The same Arabic word therefore produced a masculine name in South Asian usage, a largely feminine one in Persian and Turkish, and the male name Rayḥān in Arabic-speaking countries - a split that follows the different languages and naming customs the word passed through.
How Popular is the Name Rehan?
Rehan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2008. Its best rank was #1,820 in 2008.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,897 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #11,959 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #13,795 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #16,527 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,115 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2024 | #3,195 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2023 | #3,163 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 2022 | #2,948 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2021 | #3,228 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2020 | #2,795 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 2019 | #2,796 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2018 | #2,254 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2017 | #2,660 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2016 | #2,039 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 2015 | #2,162 | 64 | 0.0033% |
| 2014 | #2,057 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2013 | #2,084 | 65 | 0.0034% |
| 2012 | #1,920 | 75 | 0.0040% |
| 2011 | #2,195 | 60 | 0.0032% |
| 2010 | #2,185 | 61 | 0.0032% |
| 2009 | #1,986 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 2008 | #1,820 | 81 | 0.0040% |
| 2007 | #1,843 | 79 | 0.0038% |
| 2006 | #2,531 | 48 | 0.0023% |
| 2005 | #5,811 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #4,233 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #4,989 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #5,995 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #4,428 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #3,728 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1999 | #4,712 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #5,754 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,001 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #5,456 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #6,305 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,485 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #6,689 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #4,521 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #4,701 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #4,924 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #4,471 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #5,127 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #4,510 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #6,549 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #3,880 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #7,071 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,504 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,083 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #5,383 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #4,015 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #6,641 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #6,286 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,317 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #5,103 | 6 | 0.0004% |
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 Rehan 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 have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Rehan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rehan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.