Boy · #7,178 in 2026

Ratana

Rātana is a Māori Christian church and movement, headquartered at Rātana Pā near Whanganui, New Zealand. The Rātana movement began in 1918, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana claimed to experience visions, and began a mission of faith healing. In 1925 the Ratana Church was formed, and on 25 January 1928—T.

Current Rank
#7,178
Peak Rank
#4,853 (1986)
Total Babies
14
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1986
First Year
1990
Last Year
1986
Peak Year
#4853
Peak Rank
14
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ratana

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

Rātana is a Māori Christian church and movement, headquartered at Rātana Pā near Whanganui, New Zealand. The Rātana movement began in 1918, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana claimed to experience visions, and began a mission of faith healing. In 1925 the Ratana Church was formed, and on 25 January 1928—T.

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

Origin & history
T. W. Ratana 's grandfather Ngahina was a signatory of the Treaty of Waitangi for the tribes of Ngā Wairiki and Ngāti Apa . Ngahina was a sheep and cattle station owner, Anglican and pro-government loyalist. Rātana's mother was Methodist . Impacts on Māori in 1918 included land loss, World War I and the Spanish flu epidemic . After the epidemic Rātana was the only surviving male heir of his grandfather. On 8 November 1918 Rātana saw a vision, which he regarded as divinely inspired, asking him to preach the gospel to the Māori people and to cure the spirits and bodies of his people. Mere Rikiri

The Story of Ratana

Ratana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1986, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 8 Ratanas were born — ranking #4,853 that year. As of 2026, Ratana ranks #7,178 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 14 Ratanas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
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VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
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IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
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WY
NE
MO
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MD
DE
DC
UT
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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Ratana

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ratana 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 Ratana

What does the name Ratana mean?
Rātana is a Māori Christian church and movement, headquartered at Rātana Pā near Whanganui, New Zealand. The Rātana movement began in 1918, when Tahupōtiki Wiremu Ratana claimed to experience visions, and began a mission of faith healing. In 1925 the Ratana Church was formed, and on 25 January 1928—T.
How popular is Ratana in 2026?
In 2026, Ratana ranks #7,178 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Ratana most popular?
Ratana reached its peak popularity in 1986, ranking #4,853 that year with 8 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ratana most popular?
Ratana has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ratana.
Is Ratana a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ratana is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Ratana?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ratana include Delia, Gaudencio, Terriel. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Delia
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Gaudencio
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Terriel
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👦
Than
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Tore
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Lourdes
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Micheil
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Marus
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About the name Ratana

Ratana is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1986 and has accumulated 14 births in the dataset. Ratana's peak popularity came in 1986 when it ranked #4,853. Use the chart and map above to compare Ratana'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.