Boy · #4,796 in 2026

Rahman

Rahman or Rehman is an Arabic and Hebrew origin surname meaning "Gracious", "King", "Merciful" or "Lord" based on the triconsonantal root R-Ḥ-M. With nisba, the name becomes Rehmani, meaning "descendant of the gracious one". It is also used as a surname by some people belonging to the Sayyed community and some Pashtuns in India and Pakistan.

  • Arabic
  • Persian
  • Pashto
  • Indonesian
Current Rank
#4,796
Peak Rank
#1,190 (1976)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+4%
1959
First Year
2026
Last Year
1976
Peak Year
#1190
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
65
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rahman

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Rahman or Rehman is an Arabic and Hebrew origin surname meaning "Gracious", "King", "Merciful" or "Lord" based on the triconsonantal root R-Ḥ-M. With nisba, the name becomes Rehmani, meaning "descendant of the gracious one". It is also used as a surname by some people belonging to the Sayyed community and some Pashtuns in India and Pakistan.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Arabic
  • Persian
  • Pashto
  • Indonesian
  • Malay
  • Bengali
  • Azerbaijani

The Story of Rahman

The earliest SSA record of Rahman as a baby boy name dates back to 1959, when 5 babies received it. 1976 was its biggest year on record, with 52 newborns named Rahman — #1,190 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Rahman on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rahman ranks #4,796 for baby boys with 21 births, holding steady (+4%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Rahman

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • A. R. Rahman (born 1967), Oscar Award-winning Indian music composer, singer, and songwriter
  • Aarif Lee (born Aarif Rahman) (born 1987), Chinese-Canadian singer, songwriter and actor
  • Amrah bint Abdul Rahman (died 717), Islamic scholar
  • Hasim Rahman (born 1972), former heavyweight boxing champion
  • Kader Rahman (1938–2024), Hong Kong field hockey player
  • Merina Rahman (born 1943), Bangladeshi Jatiya Party politician and Member of Parliament
  • Md Mostaqur Rahman (born 1966), Bangladeshi cost and management accountant, 14th governor of Bangladesh Bank
  • Mizan Rahman (1932–2015), Bangladeshi Canadian mathematician and writer

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Rahman

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rahman is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rahman

What does the name Rahman mean?
Rahman or Rehman is an Arabic and Hebrew origin surname meaning "Gracious", "King", "Merciful" or "Lord" based on the triconsonantal root R-Ḥ-M. With nisba, the name becomes Rehmani, meaning "descendant of the gracious one". It is also used as a surname by some people belonging to the Sayyed community and some Pashtuns in India and Pakistan.
What is the origin of the name Rahman?
Rahman has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Indonesian, Malay, Bengali, Azerbaijani.
How popular is Rahman in 2026?
In 2026, Rahman ranks #4,796 among boys' names in the U.S., with 21 babies given the name that year.
When was Rahman most popular?
Rahman reached its peak popularity in 1976, ranking #1,190 that year with 52 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Rahman most popular?
Rahman has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rahman.
Is Rahman a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Rahman is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Rahman?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rahman include Bonifacio, Atlee, Clois. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Bonifacio
Peak #1190
👦
Atlee
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👦
Clois
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👦
Dicky
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👦
Tadd
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👦
Naim
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Vinh
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Duy
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About the name Rahman

Rahman is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1959 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Rahman's peak popularity came in 1976 when it ranked #1,190. Use the chart and map above to compare Rahman's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.