Roshana
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "light" or "bright".
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Roshana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Roshana today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roshana births was 1978 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roshana. 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 Roshana with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
1978
10 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2000 SSA rank
#12,852
Tracked since 1975
Census
Roshana in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 266 people with the first name Roshana, which placed it at #31,950 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
#31,950
National first-name rank
People counted
266
266 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
47.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Roshana
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Roshana is Black at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%) and White (15.0%). 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 Roshana 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 Roshana at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.7% · 127
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.1% · 56
- White15.0% · 40
- Two or more races8.3% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 5
Popularity
Roshana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roshana from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 52 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roshana 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 Roshana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Roshanas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Roshana
The name Roshana has its origins in the Persian language, tracing back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "roshan," which means "light" or "bright." The name carries a connotation of radiance, luminosity, and enlightenment.
In the early centuries of the Islamic era, the name Roshana gained popularity among Persian-speaking communities. It was often given to girls as a symbol of hope, purity, and guidance. The name's association with light and brightness aligned with the spiritual and philosophical teachings of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roshana can be found in the epic poem "Shahnameh" (The Book of Kings), written by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. The poem contains references to a character named Roshana, who was depicted as a wise and virtuous woman.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Roshana. One such individual was Roshana Aryan (1958-2008), an Afghan singer and musician who gained international recognition for her contributions to the preservation of traditional Afghan music. She was a prominent cultural figure and advocated for women's rights in her country.
Another prominent Roshana was Roshana Javed (born 1957), a Pakistani writer and poet. She has authored numerous books and has been recognized for her literary contributions, including the prestigious Pride of Performance award from the Pakistani government.
In the field of politics, Roshana Sillu (born 1965) is a notable figure from Fiji. She served as a member of the Fiji Parliament and was actively involved in advocating for women's rights and gender equality in her country.
Roshana Rasool (born 1984) is an Indian actress and model who has appeared in various Bollywood films and television shows. Her on-screen presence and acting talents have earned her recognition in the Indian entertainment industry.
Roshana Salvatus (born 1985) is a former Indonesian badminton player who has represented her country in international competitions. She has won several medals at the Southeast Asian Games and achieved notable rankings in the sport.
While the name Roshana has its roots in the Persian language, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with historical Persian or Islamic influences. The name's association with light, brightness, and enlightenment has made it a cherished choice for parents seeking a name with profound meaning and cultural significance.
People
Roshana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roshana 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
Roshana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roshana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roshana 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Roshana a common name?
We classify Roshana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 125 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roshana most popular?
The single biggest year for Roshana was 1978, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roshana is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Roshana in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 266 people with the name Roshana, or 0.09 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #31,950 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 Roshana 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 Roshana?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Roshana appears almost entirely female. Of the 265 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Roshana?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Roshana is Black at 47.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%) and White (15.0%). 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 Roshana most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Roshana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.7% (127 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 Roshana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Roshana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roshana 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 Roshana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Roshana 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 Roshana 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 have Roshana as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.