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Raven as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Raven

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The baby name Raven is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈreɪvən/ (RAY-vən).

Raven is English in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈreɪvən/ (RAY-vən)

What is the meaning of the name Raven ?

The baby name Raven is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈreɪvən/ (RAY-vən).

Raven is English in Origin.

Raven is an English nature name from the bird, via Middle English raven and Old English hræfn (Proto-Germanic *hrabnaz). In myth and folklore, the raven symbolizes keen intelligence and mystery - evoked by Odin’s companions Huginn and Muninn in Norse lore and the Celtic figure Brân (“raven”). Literary echoes from Edgar Allan Poe add a darkly elegant tone.

As a personal name, Raven appears in medieval England as a nickname and surname for a dark‑haired person, but gained broader given‑name use only in the late 20th century and remains unisex, more common for girls. Variant spellings include Rayven, Ravyn, Raevyn, Raeven, and Raiven; short forms Rae or Ren occur. Related cognates include Scandinavian Ravn, Icelandic Hrafn, and Germanic Raban/Hraban; Welsh Brân shares the meaning. Overall sense: “raven,” with associations of wisdom, protection, and night‑hued beauty.

Raven has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Raven

Raven-Symoné Actor · Born 1985 · United States Raven-Symoné is an American actress, singer, and director best known for starring in Disney’s That’s So Raven and The Cheetah Girls. She has also appeared on The Cosby Show and has won several major awards, including multiple NAACP Image Awards. Raven Actor · Born 1964 · United States Raven is a large black bird in the crow family, most famous for its intelligence and striking appearance. It belongs to the genus Corvus, which includes several species that are closely related but not all part of one single taxonomic group. Raven Goodwin Actor · Born 1992 · United States Raven Goodwin is an American actress best known for her roles in The Station Agent and Lovely & Amazing. She made her film debut in Lovely & Amazing (2001), earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and later received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for The Station Agent.

Raven – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
KH Boys 0 #9 1 270
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #83 4 3,857
PH 0 #85 12 5,607
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
Belgium Boys 2022 #176 22 401
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
Sweden Girls 2020 #179 2 1,663
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
MO Boys 0 #209 15 5,842
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
TW Boys 0 #230 12 7,111
Canada Girls 2024 #233 53 2,795
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
MO Girls 0 #259 5 7,056
JM Girls 0 #270 9 7,507
SG 0 #275 8 11,010
PH Boys 0 #287 97 11,440
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
Canada Boys 2024 #299 8 2,588
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
QA Girls 0 #303 14 15,378
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
United States Girls 2024 #333 813 8,487
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
PL Boys 0 #335 6 6,459
HK 0 #338 11 8,483
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
PH Girls 0 #350 41 13,098
CN Girls 0 #352 8 8,829
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
MU Boys 0 #362 8 8,477
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
France Girls 2021 #377 29 3,185
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
OM Girls 0 #419 6 15,987
ZA 0 #427 21 14,421
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
HK Boys 0 #464 64 12,905
PT Girls 0 #469 3 7,952
IQ Girls 0 #471 34 11,303
RU Girls 0 #480 19 11,913
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
RU Boys 0 #487 19 12,621
KW Girls 0 #495 21 19,177
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
PA Girls 0 #514 5 9,861
CR Girls 0 #518 15 11,342
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
AE Girls 0 #540 14 20,968
BH 0 #540 14 17,937
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
LY 0 #556 4 12,703
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
SG Girls 0 #560 27 18,916
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
HK Girls 0 #588 28 16,104
IQ Boys 0 #599 69 13,071
BD Boys 0 #601 5 10,045
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
IL Boys 0 #621 5 10,983
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
SG Boys 0 #646 52 17,960
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
LB 0 #684 7 13,263
QA Boys 0 #687 21 18,093
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
Finland Girls 2026 #732 7 3,895
KW Boys 0 #750 20 18,755
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
NG Girls 0 #776 11 15,093
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #822 17 4,949
United States Boys 2024 #847 46 7,044
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
PE Boys 0 #863 16 14,506
EG Boys 0 #877 10 15,035
NL Boys 0 #890 62 5,873
SA Girls 0 #902 34 25,931
CO Boys 0 #903 18 15,656
CL Girls 0 #908 8 14,098
Germany Boys 0 #909 44 5,697
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
NL Girls 0 #917 39 5,933
Spain Boys 0 #918 13 5,610
PE Girls 0 #933 11 14,861
NG Boys 0 #942 10 16,906
MY Boys 0 #956 156 25,439
MX Boys 0 #961 22 16,355
MY Girls 0 #967 28 24,821
BR Girls 0 #988 5 12,708
ZA Boys 0 #991 188 25,619
EG Girls 0 #1,004 6 14,742
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,047 46 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,072 70 25,928
MA 0 #1,107 22 20,986
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
DZ 0 #1,154 23 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,155 29 17,781
TR 0 #1,202 10 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,416 56 10,046
IT Girls 0 #1,422 25 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,484 131 28,008

Raven is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

Canada
United States
France
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland

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People also ask about Raven

Raven is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Raven is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈreɪvən/ (RAY-vən).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ravyn, Ravin, Ravon, Ravynn, Ravonne and Ravenna.
Across languages, Raven has these equivalents: Bran (Welsh/Irish), Hrafn (Old Norse/Icelandic), Ravn (Scandinavian), Corbin/Corvin (from Latin corvus), Cuervo (Spanish), and 1 more.
Yes, very popular — Raven ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Raven ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 3 notable people named Raven are in our database, including Raven-Symoné (Actor), Raven (Actor), Raven Goodwin (Actor).