Raven (given name)
Encyclopedia
Raven, , is a unisex
given name
in the English language
. In the United States of America, the name is more commonly used as a feminine name, and has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names given to baby girls since 1977.
vocabulary word "raven
", which in turn is ultimately derived from the Old English hræfn. As a masculine name, Raven parallels the Old Norse
Hrafn
, and the Old English *Hræfn, which both mean "raven". As a feminine name, Raven is among several other names derived from birds; names such as Dove
, Kestrel, and Teal. Names derived from vocabulary words, such as the mentioned bird names, 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
, 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 also originates from a nickname
meaning "raven", or a thieving person, or a dark-haired person, derived from the Middle English
raven (the raven is well known to be a mischievous and thieving bird). 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
, 1086; le Reven, in Worcestershire
, 1327; and atte Raven, in London
, 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 such as a house sign). Raven is also a German language
surname. This name is derived from the Middle Low German
rave, raven, meaning "raven". This surname originated as a nickname, or from an old personal name
.
Germanic-language names of the same meaning (and of non-Germanic origin)
Non-Germanic-language names with the same meaning
In 1990, the United States Census Bureau
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.
Unisex name
A unisex name, also known as an epicene name, is a given name that is often given to either a boy or a girl. Some countries, however, require that a given name be gender-specific or have enough names with male and female versions...
given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
in the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In the United States of America, the name is more commonly used as a feminine name, and has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names given to baby girls since 1977.
Etymology and related names
The name originates from the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
vocabulary word "raven
Common Raven
The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...
", which in turn is ultimately derived from the Old English hræfn. As a masculine name, Raven parallels the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Hrafn
Hrafn
Hrafn is both a masculine byname, and personal name in Old Norse. The name translates into English as "raven". The Old English form of the name is *Hræfn...
, and the Old English *Hræfn, which both mean "raven". As a feminine name, Raven is among several other names derived from birds; names such as Dove
Dove (given name)
Dove, , is a given name in the English language. The name is derived from the English vocabulary word "dove". This is word is in turn derived from the Old English douve, from the Old Norse döfa. The dove is noted as a symbol of peace...
, Kestrel, and Teal. Names derived from vocabulary words, such as the mentioned bird names, 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
city Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
, however, in some cases Ravenna may also represent a more elaborately-feminine form of Raven.
Raven is also a surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
in the English language. In some cases the surname is derived from the Old Norse and Old English personal names already mentioned. The surname also originates from a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
meaning "raven", or a thieving person, or a dark-haired person, derived from the Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
raven (the raven is well known to be a mischievous and thieving bird). 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
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, 1086; le Reven, in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, 1327; and atte Raven, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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 such as a house sign). Raven is also a German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
surname. This name is derived from the Middle Low German
Middle Low German
Middle Low German is a language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German. It served as the international lingua franca of the Hanseatic League...
rave, raven, meaning "raven". This surname originated as a nickname, or from an old personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
.
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)
- CorbinCorbin (given name)Corbin is a masculine given name. It may refer to :* Corbin Allred , an American actor* Corbin Bernsen , an American actor* Corbin Billings , an American motivational speaker...
- masculine - English (a name with several possible origins; in some cases it may be derived from Corbinian, see below). - Corbinian - masculine - English (possibly from LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
corvus, and Late LatinLate LatinLate Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of Late Antiquity. The English dictionary definition of Late Latin dates this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD extending in Spain to the 7th. This somewhat ambiguously defined period fits between Classical Latin and Medieval Latin...
corbus, which mean "crow", "raven"). The name is possibly a translation of Germanic personal name of a similar meaning, such as Hraban. - Korbinian - masculine - GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(see above Corbinian which is the English form of this name).
Non-Germanic-language names with the same meaning
- Brân - masculine - WelshWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
(from Welsh brân, which means "raven"). - Bran - masculine - IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
(from Irish bran, which means "raven"). - Branán - masculine - Irish (meaning "little raven").
- Branagán - masculine - Irish (a double diminutive of bran, which means "raven").
- 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, Raven is more commonly used as a feminine name than as a masculine name. The name has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names recorded in Social Security card applications 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 spanning 1997–2002. It's highest rank was in 1999, when it was ranked the 811th most common masculine name.In 1990, the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
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.