UK name, mostly girls
Rana
A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin meaning "queen" or "melodious".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 146 boys.
Rana is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Rana popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1743, with 17 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 32 births.
This profile covers 429 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 445 living people in the UK are called Rana. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rana ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 17 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 32 girls were registered as Rana.
- • Rana ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
- • Rana is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 445 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rana as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 74.6% of Rana registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1743
2024
Births in 2024
17
Latest year
Peak year
2009
32 births
Estimated living
445
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Rana
In England and Wales birth records, Rana has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 25.4% of registrations are for boys and 74.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Rana registered for boys
- Ranked #2,263 in 2024
- 10 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (10 births)
Rana registered for girls
- Ranked #1,743 in 2024
- 17 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (32 births)
Meaning
What does Rana mean?
The name Rana is derived from the Sanskrit word "rana," which means "battle" or "war." It has its origins in ancient India and was initially used as a title or honorific for warriors and kings. The name gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly among the Rajput clans in northern India.
In Hindu mythology, Rana is associated with the deity Kartikeya, the god of war and the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The name is also mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, where it refers to a battle or a warrior. This connection to the warrior tradition has contributed to the name's enduring popularity in the region.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Rana dates back to the 8th century CE, when it was used by the Pratihara dynasty rulers in present-day Rajasthan, India. One notable figure was Rana Khumba, the ruler of the Mewar kingdom in the 15th century, who is renowned for his architectural contributions, including the construction of the famous Kumbhalgarh Fort.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the name Rana. One of the most famous is Rana Pratap Singh (1540-1597), the legendary Rajput ruler of Mewar who fiercely resisted the Mughal Empire's attempts to conquer his kingdom. His bravery and defiance against the powerful Mughal forces have made him an iconic figure in Indian history.
Another notable figure is Rana Sanga (1484-1528), the Rana of Mewar and the leader of the Rajput confederacy. He fought against the Mughal ruler Babur in the Battle of Khanua in 1527, which resulted in a Mughal victory but showcased the valor of the Rajput warriors.
In more recent times, Rana Sanaullah Khan (born 1962) is a prominent Pakistani politician and currently serves as the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Rana Liaquat Ali Khan (1895-1951) was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan and is considered a founding father of the nation.
The name Rana has also been popular in other cultures, such as the Nepali and Bengali communities, where it is associated with nobility and leadership qualities.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rana over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Rana in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rana, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 17 births in 2024, compared with 32 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rana by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rana was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1758 | 83 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1905 | 151 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1516 | 162 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1942 | 33 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rana is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rana. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Rana ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #809 in 2018.
Across the UK
Rana in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#809 in 2018
6 years of NRS records, 18 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rana
-
Rana Rahimpour
journalist
British-Iranian journal
1983-
-
Rana Dasgupta
writer; novelist; short story writer
British Indian novelist and essayist
1971-
-
Rana Mitter
historian; university teacher
British historian
1969-
-
Rana Kabbani
writer; poet; historian; cultural historian
British Syrian cultural historian, writer and broadcaster
1958-
Related
Names similar to Rana
- Ruby 60,551
- Rebecca 45,764
- Rosie 35,558
- Rachel 19,034
- Rose 18,043
- Robyn 14,556
- Rosa 6,236
- Rhiannon 6,180
- Rachael 4,702
- Rebekah 4,395
- Rhianna 4,177
- Ruth 4,118
FAQ
Rana: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rana in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rana was ranked #1743 for girls in England and Wales, with 17 births registered.
When was Rana most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 32 babies registered as Rana in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rana?
A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin meaning "queen" or "melodious".
How many people are called Rana in the UK?
A total of 429 babies have been registered as Rana across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 18 more in Scotland.
Where is Rana most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rana ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #809 in 2018. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.