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Home › Baby Names Directory › Raven

Raven

♂ Boy

Pronounced RAY-vuhn /ˈɹeɪ.vən/Medium

Meaning: Frenzied, furious, inspiredMedium

In 30 seconds: As a boy's name Raven traces to Old Germanic roots tied to the raven and to the sense 'frenzied, furious, inspired'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFrenzied, furious, inspired
U.S. rank (2025)#2973 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births42 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1999
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,332

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199919212025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Beyond the English bird word, Raven connects to older Germanic forms like Hraban and Hrafn, the raven of Norse and Germanic lore, and the data ties it to the charged meaning 'frenzied, furious, inspired'. It carries both the dark elegance of the bird and that fiercer undertone.

Its variations span the Germanic Hraban, Raban and Hrafn alongside the softer Roan and Ronne. The name reaches across genders too: tennis player Raven Klaasen (born 1982) is male, while shot putter Raven Saunders (born 1996) is female.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Raven is 'frenzied, furious, inspired', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Raven — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

RoanRonneHrabanRabanHrafn

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Raven Klaasen (1982–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Raven Saunders (1996–present)
    Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Raven…

Aven— echoes that soft -en sound
Rylen— a fellow English choice
Linden— lands in the same popularity range
Carmen— shares the -en ending
Ryden— shares Raven's English roots

Explore names like Raven

By themeenglishnature

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Raven mean?

Raven is usually explained as meaning 'frenzied, furious, inspired' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Raven?

It's commonly said RAY-vuhn /ˈɹeɪ.vən/.

Is Raven a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Raven is used as a boy name.

How popular is Raven?

In 2024, Raven ranked #2815 in the U.S. for boys, with 46 births recorded.

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