Roxan

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Roxan

Pronounced rok-SAN /rɒkˈsæn/Medium

Meaning: Roxan is a trimmed spelling of Roxanne and Roxana, names descending from the Old Persian Roshanak, 'little star,' tied to roshan, 'bright, dawn.' Roxana was the Bactrian wife of Alexander the Great, and the -an spelling simply shortens the familiar Roxanne.Medium

In 30 seconds: Roxan is a short spelling of Roxanne, from Persian for 'dawn' or 'bright.' A quiet mid-century name, it was never common (said rok-SAN).

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumPersian, English

MeaningRoxan is a trimmed spelling of Roxanne and Roxana, names descending from the Old Persian Roshanak, 'little star,' tied to roshan, 'bright, dawn.' Roxana was the Bactrian wife of Alexander the Great, and the -an spelling simply shortens the familiar Roxanne.

U.S. rank (2009)#16862 ↗ Rising

2009 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1954

Total births (all-time)≈ 430

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

Roxan appears in United States records from the mid-1940s as a clipped form of Roxanne, whose Persian root means 'bright' or 'dawn.' It stayed long-tail, given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its high around 1954, with scattered use lingering toward the 2000s.

A girl named Roxan then would be in her late sixties or seventies now. The fuller Roxanne carries the name today, helped along by the well-known song, while this shorter spelling has not revived.

Did you know? Roxan reaches back to antiquity: through Roxana it recalls the Persian bride of Alexander the Great, from a root meaning 'bright' or 'dawn.'

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Roxan — Short spelling of Roxanne/Roxana (Persian roshan 'bright, dawn')

Variations

RoxanneRoxanaRoxann

Nicknames

RoxyAnnRox

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Roxan…

Roxanne— the standard spelling of this same name

Roxana— the classical form behind it

Roxann— a close variant spelling

Suzanne— a same-era -anne girls' name

Explore names like Roxan

By themerare english vintage variant-spelling persian

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Roxan mean?

It is a short spelling of Roxanne or Roxana, from a Persian root meaning 'dawn' or 'bright.'

How do you pronounce Roxan?

It's said rok-SAN /rɒkˈsæn/, two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Roxan a boy or girl name?

Roxan is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Roxan?

It has always been rare, a clipped mid-century spelling given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its peak.