Unisex name · English
River
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: flowing riverRiver is a gender-neutral name that comes from English and means "flowing river". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Flowing river
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #220 in 2025
Meaning and origin of River
As a gender-neutral name, River comes from English and means "flowing river". It is used in English.
As a boy's name, River comes from English and means "a flowing stream". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts River on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
River on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about River on 8 lists.
“Flowing, free and fond of fishing holes”
From Redneck names for boys, outdoorsy country boy names
“Flowing water; English. Calm and modern”
From Boy middle names, nature middle names for boys
“For a cat who flows through the house without a sound”
From Cat names, nature cat names
“A flowing stream; English word name with Latin roots”
From Cute boy names, cute nature names for boys
“A flowing stream; English word name with Latin roots”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
“Calm, flowing and always on the move”
From Beaver names, woodland and river beaver names
“English word name for flowing water, from Latin ripa, riverbank”
From Nature names, unisex nature names
“A large flowing stream; English word name, for girls and boys”
From Ocean names, names that mean water, river or spring
How popular is River?
In 2025, 1,401 girls and 3,139 boys in the US were named River.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #220
- 1,401 babies, 872 per million girls
- Best rank
- #149 in 2021
- Most babies: 1,930 in 2022
- Babies since 1988
- At least 19,675
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 15 per million |
| 2000s | 75 per million |
| 2010s | 469 per million |
| 2020s | 1,008 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #285 | #270 | #244 | #212 | #184 | #149 | #150 | #193 | #215 | #220 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #111
- 3,139 babies, 1,838 per million boys
- Best rank
- #105 in 2022
- Most babies: 3,504 in 2021
- Babies since 1971
- At least 39,676
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 2 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 104 per million |
| 2000s | 223 per million |
| 2010s | 737 per million |
| 2020s | 1,856 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #212 | #200 | #197 | #168 | #129 | #110 | #105 | #116 | #112 | #111 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like River
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RogerFamous spear (Germanic, boy)
- RainerCounsel army (Germanic, boy)
- RavenBlack bird (Old English, unisex)
- RieReason and blessing (Japanese, girl)
- RikeRuler (Germanic, girl)
- RileyFrom a surname meaning rye clearing (Old English, unisex)
- RoserRosary (Latin, girl)
- RyderMounted warrior (Old English, boy)
- RykerPossibly from the German surname Riker, from rike, rich (German, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- RioRiver (Spanish, unisex)
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KelvinFrom the River Kelvin (Scottish place name, boy)
- MonroeFrom the mouth of the Roe river (Gaelic, unisex)
- ShannonFrom Ireland's longest river (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- AyrtonSettlement on the River Aire (English, boy)
- ClodaghFrom a river in County Waterford (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- DùbhghlasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for River
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- ArmstrongStrong in the arm (English, boy)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
River: common questions
What does the name River mean?
River comes from English and means "flowing river". It also has another origin: "a flowing stream" from English.
Is River a boy or girl name?
River is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 1,401 girls and 3,139 boys in the US were named River, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name River come from?
River comes from English and means "flowing river". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name River?
River ranked #220 in the US in 2025, with 1,401 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to River?
Names spelled like River include Roger, Rainer, Raven, Rie and Rike.
What middle names go with River?
Middle names that flow well with River include Amber, Clark, Daphne, Elliott and Estelle. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.