Rhiana
Meaning of Rhiana
Rhiana, pronounced ree-AH-nuh (/riˈanə/), represents a feminine given name of Welsh derivation and functions lexically as an orthographic variant of Rhianna and Rhiannon, ultimately stemming from the Proto-Celtic root *rīg- (“king, queen”) augmented by the suffix -anton to convey the sense of “great queen.” Historically, it is inextricably linked to the eponymous goddess Rhiannon of medieval Welsh literature, whose mythological resonance endows the name with connotations of sovereign dignity and otherworldly strength. In the Anglo-American onomastic context, the name has registered sporadic yet sustained usage in the United States since the mid-1970s, initially entering the Social Security Administration’s top 1,000 chart in 1976 (32 occurrences, 730th rank), reaching its peak annual birth count of 75 (913th rank) in 2007, and subsequently contracting to just six registrations (957th rank) by 2014. This pattern of limited but persistent adoption underscores Rhiana’s appeal to parents seeking a name that synthesizes mythological heritage, semantic depth, and contemporary phonetic clarity, positioning it as a distinctive choice within the broader corpus of Anglo-American female names.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as ree-AH-nuh (/riˈanə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Rhiana
| Rhiana Gunn-Wright - |
