Fun Facts About the Name Rihana
- 705 babies named Rihana: U.S. records list 705 babies given the name Rihana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Rihana Mean?
Rihana is a feminine given name most often understood as a variant spelling of the Arabic name Rayhana (ريحانة). In Arabic, rayḥāna means 'basil' or 'fragrant herb.' It comes from the root ر و ح (r-w-ḥ), which is connected with wind, breath, and fragrance. The related collective noun rayḥān (ريحان) refers to aromatic plants, and the singular rayḥāna can mean a basil plant or a sprig of fragrant herb. Because Arabic vowels are not written in the same way as English vowels, the name has several transliterations: Raihana, Rehana, Rayhana, and Rihana. The literal sense is a plant name, not a symbolic character trait. In English, Rihana can also be a simplified spelling of Rihanna, which is generally traced to the same Arabic source. A separate Welsh name, Rhiannon, is sometimes respelled Rhianna, but it has a different origin and meaning and is not the usual source of Rihana.
Rihana Name History & Origins
The Arabic name Rayhana is old. In early Islamic history, Rayhana bint Zayd, a woman from the Banu Nadir tribe, is named in traditional accounts and is described as a wife of Muhammad. Her name is one of the early well-known uses of Rayhana as a personal name in Islamic tradition. As Arabic-speaking culture and Islam spread, the name was adopted in different languages. Persian uses Reyhaneh (ریحانه); Turkish uses Reyhan; Urdu and other South Asian languages use Rehana or Rihana. These forms are local pronunciations and spellings of the same Arabic word rather than separate names. In English, Rihana is a less common spelling. The double-n spelling Rihanna is familiar from the Barbadian singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty, whose name is often connected to the Arabic Rayhana. Rihana can be an alternate spelling of that English form, or an independent transliteration of the Arabic name; the two routes can produce the same spelling.
How Popular is the Name Rihana?
Rihana 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 2007. Its best rank was #2,307 in 2007.
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 | #7,074 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #9,405 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #8,391 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #7,225 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #13,201 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #7,160 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #9,615 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #6,469 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2017 | #17,918 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #8,774 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #12,771 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,746 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #6,967 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #5,526 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #4,657 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2010 | #3,241 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2009 | #2,846 | 62 | 0.0034% |
| 2008 | #2,747 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 2007 | #2,307 | 84 | 0.0044% |
| 2006 | #2,911 | 60 | 0.0032% |
| 2005 | #5,960 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #15,663 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #8,943 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #6,634 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #8,088 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #9,725 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #16,318 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #10,909 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,375 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #13,038 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #6,954 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #14,992 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #11,208 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #11,090 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #13,970 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #12,337 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #8,127 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #9,925 | 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 Rihana 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 intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Rihana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rihana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.