Given name · also Celtic
Rhiannon
“the great and sacred queen”
Rhiannon is used as a given name. One Welsh interpretation is “the great and sacred queen.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Welsh interpretation is “the great and sacred queen.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
The name appears in the Mabinogi, a medieval collection of Welsh legends.
Rhiannon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 15,544
- 5 boys · 15,539 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 651 babies
- 2025
- 210
- #1,119 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +23%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 210 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,119 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 651 in 1999. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (17). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 12,801 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rhiannon’s family of names
Rhiannon has a related form in Rhianna. Rhiannon has a related form in Rhyan. Rhiannon has a related form in Rheanna.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Rhiannon
- Rhiannon FishCanadian-born Australian actressborn 1991
- Rhiannon GiddensAmerican musician (born 1977)
- Rhiannon RobertsWelsh footballer (born 1990)
- Rhi JeffreyAmerican swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world championborn 1986
- Rhiannon Leigh WrynAmerican actressborn 2000
- Rhiannon LassiterBritish writerborn 1977
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rhiannon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Isolde
“of fair aspect”
>99% girls
Katelyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Carys
“one who loves and is loved”
>99% girls
Guinevere
“one with smooth and fair skin” · “the son of a fair-haired man”
>99% girls
Mackenzie
Mackenzie is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “daughter of a wise leader; a fiery woman; one who is fair” and “the son of a wise leader; a fiery man; one who is fair”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
3% boys · 97% girls
Yseult
“of fair aspect”
3% boys · 97% girls
Armelle
“a princess; born to royalty”
>99% girls
Esyllt
“a woman known for her beauty”
>99% girls