Rihan

Meaning & origin

Rihan first appeared on the U.S. Social Security Administration's baby name records in 2011, and while it has never broken into the top echelons of popularity, it has maintained a steady if modest presence. The name reached its highest rank (its peak year) in 2020, but since 2019 its trajectory has been falling, with fewer parents choosing it each year. As of 2025, it ranks 4,857th, with about 1 in 85,404 newborn boys receiving the name. Rihan is essentially absent from the top states list, suggesting its use is geographically diffuse. The name has not appeared among the top 1,000 names in any year, and its revival potential in the 2020s remains low. Despite its low rank, Rihan carries a rich cultural heritage as a name meaning 'fragrant' in Arabic, evoking positive associations with nature and scent.

Rihan derives from the Arabic root r-y-ḥ, relating to fragrance and scent. It is associated with a type of aromatic plant, often identified as basil or myrtle, and appears in classical Arabic poetry and literature. The name has been used across the Arabic-speaking world and among Muslim communities in South Asia, though it remains relatively uncommon in the United States.