Home › Baby Names Directory › Rhiana

Rhiana

♀ Girl

Pronounced ree-AH-nuh /riˈɑː.nə/Medium

Meaning: Rhiana is a streamlined variant linked to the Welsh Rhiannon, from an old Celtic form Rigantona, 'great queen' or 'divine queen', and echoing the pop star Rihanna. It carries that regal Welsh sense.Medium

In 30 seconds: Rhiana is a trimmed variant of Rhiannon — Welsh for 'great queen' — that also echoes the singer Rihanna. It crested in 2006.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumWelsh

MeaningRhiana is a streamlined variant linked to the Welsh Rhiannon, from an old Celtic form Rigantona, 'great queen' or 'divine queen', and echoing the pop star Rihanna. It carries that regal Welsh sense.

U.S. rank (2014)#16121 ↗ Rising

2014 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2006

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,054

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Rhiana is a shorter cousin of the Welsh Rhiannon, whose ancient root Rigantona means 'great queen' or 'divine queen'; Rhiannon is a horse-riding queen of the Mabinogion, the medieval Welsh tales. The spelling Rhiana rose sharply in the mid-two-thousands as the Barbadian singer Rihanna became a global star, and appears in United States records from the late nineteen-seventies, surging around 2006.

Rhiana reached its high point in 2006, at the peak of Rihanna's early fame, and eased afterward. It reads as a name of the two-thousands worn by young women now in their late teens and twenties; because the Rh- spelling can mislead an English reader, the audio is guided from the respelling.

Did you know? Rhiana rode two waves at once: the mythic Welsh Rhiannon, a queen-goddess of Celtic legend, and the pop star Rihanna, whose fame from the mid-two-thousands lifted the whole sound into fashion.

Overall data confidence 64%

References — Rhiana — Variant of Rhiannon 'great queen' / echo of Rihanna; SSA peak 2006

Variations

RhiannonRihannaRianaRhianna

Nicknames

RhiAna

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Rhiana…

Rhiannon— the full Welsh queen-name Rhiana shortens

Rihanna— the pop-star spelling that lifted the sound

Riana— a like trimmed spelling of the same name

Brianna— a same-era -ianna girls' name of similar rhythm

Explore names like Rhiana

By themethree-syllable welsh 2000s namesake

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Rhiana mean?

Rhiana is linked to the Welsh Rhiannon, meaning 'great' or 'divine queen'.

How do you pronounce Rhiana?

It's said ree-AH-nuh /riˈɑː.nə/ — three syllables, stress in the middle.

Is Rhiana a boy or girl name?

Rhiana is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Rhiana?

Rhiana was an uncommon name that crested in the mid-two-thousands with the singer Rihanna's rise and has eased since.