Name
Raven
Meaning
Raven is a feminine name of English origin meaning “the black bird”.
Raven takes the glossy black bird of omen and intelligence, sacred to Odin and central to Poe, and turns it into a name of sleek darkness. American use grew through the 1990s, helped by actress Raven-Symoné, and it skews feminine though boys receive it too.
Charted in the US girls' top 1000 continuously since the late 1970s.
Popularity in the United States
Girls
Ranked #404 in 2025 · peak #139 in 1993
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Feminine
- Pronounced
- /RAY-ven/
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Questions
Raven is a feminine name of English origin meaning “the black bird”. Raven takes the glossy black bird of omen and intelligence, sacred to Odin and central to Poe, and turns it into a name of sleek darkness.
Raven is traditionally a feminine (girl) name. Charted in the US girls' top 1000 continuously since the late 1970s.
The name Raven comes from English. Raven takes the glossy black bird of omen and intelligence, sacred to Odin and central to Poe, and turns it into a name of sleek darkness. American use grew through the 1990s, helped by actress Raven-Symoné, and it skews feminine though boys receive it too.
Raven is pronounced RAY-ven.
More names that mean dark
Names that share this meaning.