Rayden
Raiden, is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Based on the Japanese deity Raijin, he is depicted as the god of thunder who possesses control over lightning. He debuted in the original 1992 game and has appeared as a playable character in every main installment except Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) and its first update.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Rayden
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raiden, is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Based on the Japanese deity Raijin, he is depicted as the god of thunder who possesses control over lightning. He debuted in the original 1992 game and has appeared as a playable character in every main installment except Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) and its first update.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Rayden
As a girl name
American parents first put Rayden on the record books as a girl name in 1998, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 29 Raydens were born — ranking #4,724 that year. About 51% of every Rayden on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rayden ranks #9,184 for girls with 9 births, falling sharply (-40%). All told, over 386 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Rayden as a boy name dates back to 1991, when 7 babies received it. 2022 was its biggest year on record, with 398 newborns named Rayden — #682 in the national rankings. About 46% of every Rayden on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rayden ranks #757 for boys with 345 births, holding steady (0%). All told, over 7K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Rayden
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rayden. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Rayden
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rayden 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 Rayden
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Is Rayden a unisex name?
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About the name Rayden
Rayden is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1991 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Rayden's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #670. Use the chart and map above to compare Rayden's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy 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.