''Raven'' is a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

in the English language. While it may be given to boys and girls, it is more frequently a feminine name. In the United States of America the name has ranked among the top 1,000 names given to baby girls since 1977.

Etymology and related names

The word is the name of a bird, which is ultimately derived from the

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

''hræfn''. As a masculine name, ''Raven'' parallels the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

'' Hrafn'', and the Old English ''*Hræfn'', which both mean "raven".. As a feminine name ''Raven'' is among several names derived from birds such as ''

Dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

'', ''Kestrel'' and ''Teal''.. Names derived from vocabulary words, such as the bird names mentioned, 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 Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...

. 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 may also originate from a

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

meaning 'raven', or a thieving person, or a dark-haired person, derived from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

''raven''., which cited: , for the surname "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 Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, 1086; ''le Reven'', in

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

, 1327; and ''atte Raven'', in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, 1344. (This final surname is a sign name, which indicates that the bearer was someone who lived near a sign with a raven on it, possibly a

house sign House signs have been used since ancient times to personalise a dwelling, turning a house into a home. Types Stone Stone signs are hard to beat for their durability. The most commonly used rock includes marble, granite, and slate. Marble and ...

.) ''Raven'' is also a German surname derived from the

Middle Low German Middle Low German or Middle Saxon (autonym: ''Sassisch'', i.e. " Saxon", Standard High German: ', Modern Dutch: ') is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented i ...

''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 *''*Hræfn'' – masculine – Old English (this name is unattested). *''*Hræfning'' – masculine – Old English (a derivative of ''*Hræfn''). *''Hraban'' – masculine – a Germanic language name. *''Hrafn'' – masculine – Old Norse. *''Hraƀna'' – masculine – early Old Norse. *''Harabana'' – masculine – early Old Norse. ;Germanic-language names of the same meaning (and of non-Germanic origin) *''

Corbin Corbin may refer to: People * Corbin (given name) * Corbin (surname) * Corbin (musician), American singer Buildings * Corbin Building, a historic building located at 192 Broadway in New York, US * Corbin Cabin, a log structure in Shenandoah ...

'' – masculine – English (a name with several possible origins; in some cases it may be derived from ''Corbinian'', see below). *''Corbinian'' – masculine – English (possibly from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''corvus'', and

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

''corbus'', which mean "crow", "raven"). The name is possibly a translation of Germanic personal name of a similar meaning, such as ''Hraban''.. *''Korbinian'' – masculine –

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

(see above ''Corbinian'' which is the English form of this name).. ;Non-Germanic-language names with the same meaning *''Brân'' – masculine – Welsh (from Welsh ''brân'', which means "raven"). *''Bran'' – masculine –

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

(from Irish ''bran'', which means "raven")., which cited: , for the surname "Byrne". *''Branán'' – masculine – Irish (meaning "little raven")., which cited: , for the surname "Brennan". *''Branagán'' – masculine – Irish (a double diminutive of ''bran'', which means "raven").., which cited: , for the surname "Brannigan". *''Feichín'' – masculine – Irish (a diminutive of Irish ''fiach'', which means "raven").. *''Fiachna'' – masculine – Irish (from ''fiach'', which can mean both "raven" and "hunt").

Popularity and use

In the United States of America and in Britain ''Raven'' is more commonly used as a feminine than a masculine name. The name has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names recorded in

Social Security card In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to ...

applications in the US 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 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 The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

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 (4,275 feminine names and 1,219 masculine 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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raven English-language masculine given names English-language feminine given names English-language unisex given names