Raney
Raney is a surname, and may refer to:Albert Raney Sr., developer of Mystic Caverns in Arkansas, United States Catherine Raney, American Olympic speed skater Della H. Raney (1912–1987), African-American pioneering Army nurse Doug Raney (1956–2016), American jazz guitarist; son of Jimmy Raney George P.
Meaning & Origin of Raney
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raney is a surname, and may refer to:Albert Raney Sr., developer of Mystic Caverns in Arkansas, United States Catherine Raney, American Olympic speed skater Della H. Raney (1912–1987), African-American pioneering Army nurse Doug Raney (1956–2016), American jazz guitarist; son of Jimmy Raney George P.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Raney
As a girl name
American parents first put Raney on the record books as a girl name in 1964, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 16 Raneys were born — ranking #7,076 that year. About 30% of every Raney on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Raney last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 9 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 342 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Raney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1917, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1965: 8 births, good for #2,982 nationwide. About 31% of every Raney on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Raney last appeared in the published SSA data in 1979, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 71 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raney
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raney 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 Raney
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About the name Raney
Raney is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 342 births in the dataset. Raney's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #7,076. Use the chart and map above to compare Raney's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2004 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.