Given name
Rihanna
“resembling sweet basil”
Rihanna is a variant of Rihana. One Arabic interpretation is “resembling sweet basil.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Rihanna is a variant of Rihana. One Arabic interpretation is “resembling sweet basil.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Rihanna is a variant of Rihana. An origin associated with Rihana is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2000. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rihanna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,617
- 5 boys · 6,612 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 1,080 babies
- 2025
- 87
- #2,150 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 87 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,150 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,075 in 2008. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (15). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,637 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.
Rihanna’s family of names
In English usage, Rihanna has an alternative spelling in Rhianna. In English usage, Rihanna has a related form in Rhianna. In English usage, Rihanna has a related form in Rhianna.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Rihanna
- Rayhana bint ZaydMuhammad's concubine or twelfth wife (d. 631)590–631
- Rayhana Obermeyersociologueborn 1963
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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