Rhianna as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rhianna

What is the meaning of the name Rhianna ?

The baby name Rhianna is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /rɪˈænə/ (ri-AN-uh),/riˈænə/ (ree-AN-uh).

Rhianna is Welsh in Origin.

Rhianna is a modern Anglicized form of Welsh Rhiannon, the mythic heroine of the Mabinogion. The name ultimately traces to a Common Celtic theonym often reconstructed as Rigantona, usually glossed “great” or “divine queen” (from the royal root rīg- plus an augmentive ending). In English use, Rhianna is typically pronounced ree-AN-uh, paralleling Brianna, with the Welsh rh sound simplified to r.

The revival of Celtic names in the 20th century, amplified by Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 hit “Rhiannon,” carried Rhiannon and its shorter spelling Rhianna into wider use across Wales, England, Australia, and North America, with the Rhianna form peaking in the 1990s–2000s. Related forms include Rhiannon, Rhiana, Rianna, and Riana; pet forms include Rhi and Ria. The spelling Rihanna is also encountered in English, though it is more commonly explained through Arabic roots meaning “basil” or “sweet fragrance.”