Raven
Meaning of Raven
Raven swoops straight out of Old English, where it meant—no surprise—“the black bird,” yet it carries far more sparkle than that simple translation suggests. Across Anglo-American lore, the raven is the clever messenger in Native stories, Odin’s watchful wingman in Norse myth, and Poe’s midnight guest “tapping, tapping” on the chamber door. That blend of mystery and brains gives the two-syllable RAY-vuhn an edgy elegance parents love: it feels as sleek as its namesake’s plumage but still friendly on a playground roll call. After peaking in the Top 150 during the ’90s, Raven has settled into the mid-300s—common enough to be recognized, rare enough to stay special. For families hunting a nature name with literary depth and a hint of midnight magic, Raven spreads its wings beautifully.
Pronunciation
American English
- Pronunced as RAY-vuhn (/ˈreɪ-vən/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Raven
| Scott Levy, known as Raven, is an American professional wrestler best known for his stints in ECW, WCW, WWF and WWE, and TNA. |
| Raven Baxter is an American science communicator and STEM educator who began posting science education videos on social media in 2017 as Raven the Science Maven. |
| Raven Goodwin is an American actress who earned early award nominations for Lovely and Amazing and The Station Agent before starring in the Nickelodeon series Just Jordan. |
| Raven Saunders is an American shot putter and three time Olympian, winning Tokyo 2020 silver, four NCAA titles at Southern Illinois and Ole Miss, and junior medals including 2014 world silver and 2015 Pan American gold. |
| Anne Raven Wilkinson, a pioneering African American ballerina, became the first to dance with a major classical company when she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1955, was promoted to soloist and danced there for six years, and later mentored Misty Copeland. |
| Raven Leilani is an American author whose 2020 debut novel Luster earned critical acclaim. |
| Raven Avery Greene is an American former NFL safety who played at James Madison and signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2018. |
| Raven B Varona, known as Ravie B, is an American photographer best known as an official photographer on the 2018 On the Run II Tour with Beyonce and Jay Z, earning an iHeartRadio award nomination. |
