River
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- RIV-er
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #111 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #111 for boys
River is a name of English origin, meaning “river”. In 2025 it ranked 111th for boys in the UK (525 babies) and 111th for boys in the US (3,139 babies).
What does River mean?
English: English word
“river”
An English nature word name; River Song is a time-travelling archaeologist in Doctor Who.
More on Wiktionary.
Is River a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, River has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 337 girls and 525 boys in the UK and 1,401 girls and 3,139 boys in the US.
How popular is River in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 111th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 525 about 1 in 570 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 56% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.4% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 525 boys in the UK were named River, making it the 111th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 169th. 337 girls were also named River in 2025 (169th for girls).
2025 had the most boys named River of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named River in the UK since 1996 were born between 2017 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.
Girls were 18% of the babies named River in the UK in 1996, and 39% in 2025.
Among boys in 2025, it was 110th in England and Wales, 132nd in Scotland and 199th in Northern Ireland.
River in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 525 | #111 |
| 2024 | 488 | #123 |
| 2023 | 453 | #136 |
| 2022 | 465 | #135 |
| 2021 | 470 | #140 |
| 2020 | 353 | #169 |
| 2019 | 279 | #207 |
| 2018 | 310 | #190 |
| 2017 | 222 | #270 |
| 2016 | 153 | #349 |
| 2015 | 109 | #432 |
| 2014 | 66 | #602 |
| 2013 | 85 | #504 |
| 2012 | 80 | #529 |
| 2011 | 74 | #537 |
| 2010 | 60 | #624 |
| 2009 | 51 | #686 |
| 2008 | 41 | #780 |
| 2007 | 34 | #858 |
| 2006 | 34 | #823 |
| 2005 | 25 | #972 |
| 2004 | 19 | #1,110 |
| 2003 | 18 | #1,081 |
| 2002 | 17 | #1,067 |
| 2001 | 13 | #1,209 |
| 2000 | 10 | #1,405 |
| 1999 | 17 | #959 |
| 1998 | 11 | #1,259 |
| 1997 | 19 | #864 |
| 1996 | 14 | #1,021 |
How popular is River in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 111th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3,139 about 1 in 540 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 30% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.5% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3,139 boys in the US were named River, making it the 111th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 129th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 3,504 boys. It first appears in the records in 1971. 1,401 girls were also named River in 2025 (219th for girls).
Half of all the boys named River in the US since 1880 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 31% of the babies named River in the US were girls.
River in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,139 | #111 |
| 2024 | 3,160 | #112 |
| 2023 | 3,117 | #116 |
| 2022 | 3,500 | #105 |
| 2021 | 3,504 | #110 |
| 2020 | 2,816 | #129 |
| 2019 | 2,371 | #168 |
| 2018 | 2,078 | #197 |
| 2017 | 1,969 | #200 |
| 2016 | 1,852 | #212 |
| 2015 | 1,516 | #243 |
| 2014 | 1,243 | #287 |
| 2013 | 830 | #371 |
| 2012 | 722 | #403 |
| 2011 | 645 | #424 |
| 2010 | 634 | #432 |
| 2009 | 619 | #448 |
| 2008 | 611 | #454 |
| 2007 | 464 | #553 |
| 2006 | 505 | #513 |
| 2005 | 476 | #517 |
| 2004 | 420 | #549 |
| 2003 | 388 | #570 |
| 2002 | 329 | #610 |
| 2001 | 323 | #607 |
| 2000 | 314 | #611 |
| 1999 | 359 | #558 |
| 1998 | 435 | #496 |
| 1997 | 389 | #518 |
| 1996 | 269 | #632 |
| 1995 | 278 | #618 |
| 1994 | 141 | #921 |
| 1993 | 54 | #1,633 |
| 1992 | 37 | #2,080 |
| 1991 | 28 | #2,463 |
| 1990 | 33 | #2,165 |
| 1989 | 40 | #1,853 |
| 1988 | 13 | #3,700 |
| 1987 | 13 | #3,516 |
| 1986 | 5 | #6,715 |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 6 | #5,617 |
| 1981 | 5 | #6,260 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 7 | #4,307 |
| 1974 | 5 | #5,225 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 8 | #3,620 |
| 1971 | 6 | #4,373 |
Names like River
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Bodhi, Aarav, Cooper, Yahya, Carter, Ayaan, Jaxon, Hunter, Rayan, Remy, Asher, Grayson
Other spellings of River
Names related to River
More English names
Lily, Evelyn, Hudson, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Riley, Oakley, Mason, Ruby, Hallie, Hazel
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “River: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/river, updated 20 October 2026.