Raha
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "comfort" or "ease".
Name Census estimates that about 318 living Americans carry the first name Raha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Raha today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raha births was 2024 (83 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raha. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Raha with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
318
~ 1 in 1,077,844 Americans
Peak year
2024
83 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,257
Tracked since 1982
Census
Raha in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 459 people with the first name Raha, which placed it at #21,899 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#21,899
National first-name rank
People counted
459
459 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
61.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raha
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raha is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Raha described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Raha at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 284
- Black or African American15.3% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.1% · 60
- Two or more races8.1% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Popularity
Raha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raha from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 162 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Raha by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Raha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rahas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Raha, while New Jersey, Georgia, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Raha
The name Raha has its origins in several ancient languages and cultures, each with its own unique meaning and significance. It is believed to have originated from the Arabic word "raha," which means "rest," "comfort," or "tranquility." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were born during times of peace and serenity or to those who brought a sense of calmness and contentment to their families.
Another potential origin of the name Raha can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, where it is derived from the word "raha," meaning "empty" or "void." In Hindu philosophy, this concept is often associated with detachment from material possessions and a state of inner peace and enlightenment. As such, the name Raha may have been bestowed upon individuals who embraced spirituality and sought to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
In ancient Persian culture, the name Raha is believed to have roots in the word "rah," which means "path" or "way." This interpretation suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were seen as guides or leaders, helping others find their way through life's challenges and uncertainties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raha can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a sage or rishi. The exact date of this reference is uncertain, but it is believed to be from around the 8th century BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Raha. One such person was Raha al-Muharraq, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of algebra. Another was Raha Khanum, a 16th-century Persian poet and mystic known for her powerful and insightful verses.
In the 18th century, Raha Begum was a prominent figure in the Mughal Empire, serving as the wife of Emperor Akbar II. She is remembered for her patronage of the arts and her efforts to promote education and cultural exchange during her husband's reign.
Moving forward in time, Raha Raad was a 20th-century Egyptian painter and sculptor whose works captured the vibrant colors and landscapes of her homeland. Her art is celebrated for its bold and expressive style, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Egypt.
Finally, Raha Moharrak is a contemporary Saudi Arabian woman who made history in 2013 by becoming the first Saudi woman to conquer Mount Everest. Her achievement has been celebrated as a symbol of empowerment and a testament to the capabilities of women in a society that has traditionally placed limitations on their roles.
People
Raha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Raha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 318 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raha going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,077,844 US residents.
Is Raha a common name?
We classify Raha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 321 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raha most popular?
The single biggest year for Raha was 2024, when 83 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raha is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Raha in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 459 people with the name Raha, or 0.15 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,899 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Raha in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Raha?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Raha leans strongly female. 427 people counted with this name were female (92.4%), compared with 35 male bearers (7.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Raha?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Raha is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Raha most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Raha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (284 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Raha in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Raha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raha in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Raha still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Raha in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Raha can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Raha?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.