Radiance
In radiometry, radiance is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted or received by a given surface, per unit solid angle per unit projected area. Radiance is used to characterize diffuse emission and reflection of electromagnetic radiation, and to quantify emission of neutrinos and other particles. The SI unit of radiance is the watt per steradian per square metre.
Meaning & Origin of Radiance
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
In radiometry, radiance is the radiant flux emitted, reflected, transmitted or received by a given surface, per unit solid angle per unit projected area. Radiance is used to characterize diffuse emission and reflection of electromagnetic radiation, and to quantify emission of neutrinos and other particles. The SI unit of radiance is the watt per steradian per square metre.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Radiance
Radiance first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1982, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1988, when 27 Radiances were born — ranking #3,483 that year. As of 2026, Radiance ranks #11,069 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 298 Radiances have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Radiance
Phonetically similar names — useful when Radiance is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Radians
- Radius
- Radian
- Radious
- Radiants
- Irradiance
- Radiant
- Riddance
- Radium
- Radeon
- Rodion
- Rhodian
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Radiance
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About the name Radiance
Radiance is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1982 and has accumulated 298 births in the dataset. Radiance's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #3,483. Use the chart and map above to compare Radiance's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.