Raven (given name)


Raven is a unisex given name in the English language. In the United States of America, the name is more commonly used as a feminine name, and has ranked among the top 1,000 feminine names given to baby girls since 1977.

Etymology and related names

The name originates from the English vocabulary word "raven", which in turn is ultimately derived from the Old English hræfn. As a masculine name, Raven parallels the Old Norse Hrafn, and the Old English *Hræfn, which both mean "raven". As a feminine name, Raven is among several other names derived from birds; names such as Dove, Kestrel, and Teal. Names derived from vocabulary words, such as the mentioned bird names, increased in popularity as feminine names in the English-speaking world during the 20th century. The feminine given name Ravenna is thought to be derived from the name of the northern Italian city Ravenna, however, in some cases Ravenna may also represent a more elaborately-feminine form of Raven.
Raven is also a surname in the English language. In some cases the surname is derived from the Old Norse and Old English personal names already mentioned. The surname also originates from a nickname meaning "raven", or a thieving person, or a dark-haired person, derived from the Middle English raven In other cases, the surname is derived from a sign name. The following surnames are examples of names from which the modern surname Raven is derived: filius Reuene, in Yorkshire, 1086; le Reven, in Worcestershire, 1327; and atte Raven, in London, 1344. Raven is also a German language surname. This name is derived from the Middle Low German rave, raven, meaning "raven". This surname originated as a nickname, or from an old personal name.

Cognates

;Germanic-language names of the same word-origin
;Germanic-language names of the same meaning
;Non-Germanic-language names with the same meaning
In the United States of America, Raven is more commonly used as a feminine name than as a masculine name. The name has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names recorded in Social Security card applications since 1977. In 2009, it was the 636th most common feminine name. As a masculine name, Raven ranked amongst the top 1,000 names only in the years spanning 1997–2002. Its highest rank was in 1999, when it was ranked the 811th most common masculine name.
In 1990, the United States Census Bureau undertook a study of the 1990 United States Census, and released a sample of data concerning the most popular names. This sample consisted of 6.3 million people, and was made up of 5,494 unique first names. Within this sample, Raven was ranked the 1,358th most common feminine name, and did not even rank amongst the 1,219 masculine names.

Popularity charts