Raven

Ravens and Crows are among my favorite animals in the world. They are incredibly social and intelligent creatures. If you try to hurt them or betray the trust of a group of them, they will remember you and they will let you know they do not approve, but if you show yourself to be trustworthy, they will also remember you. They are a beautiful and majestic part of nature, and Raven is a very pretty name, and though it may be more typically feminine, but there's nothing stopping it working on a boy. After all, half of all ravens are! I would be very proud and happy to bear the name of the Raven.

It's nice but it's sounds better on a fictional character or someone's oc.

I’ve loved ravens and crows etc since I was very young. I’d rename myself this when I get the chance to do so. It does not take a “special character or personality” to have a beautiful name, like some say about the name Phoenix. Choose any name you like.

People need to stop being so judgmental… like imagine if someone was telling you that your name sounds trashy and inappropriate. If you don’t like the name, you can say that but don’t be so mean about it. I think it’s a beautiful name for anyone regardless of age, gender or race.

Dark and deliciously gothic! What a fabulous name.

Lmao this site is full of Karens. Imagine thinking Raven is a crazy or out there name. Squares, that's all I gotta say.

Who the f%k would name their kid Raven. You seriously have issues. It’s one of the stupidest names ever. I think people do stuff like this just to get attention. Goth was over in the 90’s. If ya want your kid to be normal, name them something normal.

Dude... let people name their kids what they want. Raven is a beautiful name and you can't just go around telling people it's a bad name just because you don't like it... people don't need "help" because they chose a nice name for their kid, and even if "goth" style was over (which it isn't, there's still people out there whether you like it or not) it doesn't give you any right to tell people what to do. Seriously tho, ur the one who needs help here.

A person named Raven with raven black hair would look nice.

I like it. I think it’s cool. I prefer it on a girl, but it’s nice on a boy.

Personally I think this is one of the best names in English. It fits both a boy or a girl, however, I like it more on a girl. It gives me dark academia vibes for sure and reminds me of a person with dark black hair and pale skin, but Raven can look good on everyone, I'm just telling what it reminds me of:) Rae can be a good nickname.

It's a nice name but it's strongly associated with Raven Symone. It's basically a one person name.

I am not a fan of animal names, but this name is different than any other animal name.

This is the name I choose for myself when I changed it. What a lovely, powerful name. I'm glad to be apart of the other Ravens in the world now.

My name is Raven, and reading all these comments hurt. Please do not stereotype the name or say it's unprofessional and won't suit a middle age women. I don't have pale skin and jet black hair, or do witchcraft. And don't tell people to be careful about naming their kids Raven, because they don't fit your stereotype of the name. It's disrespectful.

I never really thought I would, but I like the name Raven... it goes quite well with Robin? I suppose I wouldn’t mind having two kids called Raven and Robin... XD.

Makes me think of an old hippie lady who practices witchcraft and makes potions under the full moon.

Reminds me of a very elderly lady with warts and moles everywhere, I agree with noisynora.
Also reminds me of the song “Crab Rave”.

Gothic name. I love it.

I like the combination Raven-Rae, it sounds very unisex, Raven-Ray is good for a boy.
My family has dark hair (not all of my family) this would probably suit someone with dark hair.

Goth name. Love it. By the way, when I say goth, it’s a compliment because I am a bit of a goth myself.
I’d use it as a book character.

I love it. Very cute on a baby and kid, nice and unique for a teen. I do find it a little weird on a grownup but it’s alright, and it’s not girly. Super cool.

My name is Raven. I have only met one other at University (female) and keep hearing of a guy named Raven in the area, I have yet to run into him it seems he is a few years younger than me. I do like the unique-ness of it. I always get compliments on it and sometimes people sing me the theme song to the show "That's So Raven". I tell people I am goth as a joke because I am clearly not goth. ALSO, as far as a professional name goes, I am doing just fine in the tech industry with my name. People actually really like it and it makes people remember you easily. I do get how my name is very "white" because I am hispanic and come from an area with mainly hispanic people, but it doesn't bother me.

Sounds super goth. It sounds cool, but it doesn't really fit a professional adult.

Raven as a given name is super goth. Like, the ultimate goth name. However, it's a really nice nickname. The sort of nickname a parent calls their kids exclusively.

I was given a more masculine name– which I hated for multiple reasons: childish nicknames, weird pronunciation in other languages, and just didn't fit my cultural background. Decided to change it to Raven (even before turning 18). Good riddance!

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Raven just stood out as having a greater strength in its meaning and connotation than with either gender. It's not hard for foreign speakers to say, and seems to be pretty easy for native English speakers to remember.

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In general usage, it's definitely not as goth/trendy/feminine as you might think!
Reminds me of Robin, Cameron, Ashley, Morgan, Riley, Taylor.

This is like the most gothic-sounding name.

My name is Raven, but I was a Raven long before any passing trend. I was born in 1980, and my name was one of the strangest names that people responded to for a long time. So many times people used to ask if it was my real name, sometimes I made up a story for them since it seemed so much like they wanted to know the great story behind how I got my name. To some I would tell them that my full tribal name is Raven Who Flies Alone. My name has also shown a change in the times, for the first 20 years people used to say "Like Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven" but for the last 20 years people said for a while "Like Raven-Symone" which turned into "Like That's So Raven."I like to respond that I am the OG. But actually, I was named after a soap opera character from the show "Edge of Night."

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It is definitely a name the brings up a physical and social description for many people.

My 15 year old daughter's name is Raven and I love the name. It fits her personality. I gave the honor of naming her to her three older brothers so yes, it's very special.

I personally can’t stand the name! To me it sounds like a name that a stripper/pole dancer would give out as a fictitious name in some trashy night club. Definitely doesn’t sound like something appropriate to name a child.

My name is Raven and my parents didn't pick it due to what was popular at the time (That's So Raven) but after our house where my parents met and I used to hate it but I have grown to love it and people say that it suits me a lot. However, don't be restricted by hair colour and the idea that they should have black hair because I am a bright ginger and apparently it still suits me. However when picking this name always be aware that people will ALWAYS sing the "That's So Raven" theme tune to them.

My name is Raven, and I'm in a love/annoyance relationship with it. My mother, thirty at the time, had gone through namebook after namebook and found nothing until instinct told her to go with it. She never really looked into the meaning.

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Here I am, twenty odd years later, and can say I am just as booknerdy and creative, with a touch of paranormal, as my name would suggest; with a hint of trickster that my mother despises. I am also, ironically, a Ravenclaw.

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The annoyance when it comes to my name, is the connection that people made to "That's So Raven" growing up; I had a serious hate for that theme song. My mother didn't even know she existed. Other than that, it's the typical not finding your name on souvenirs and the like.

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Personally, I find that while technically a unisex name, Raven (or Ravyn; an alternative I can agree with) is more suited for a female, while Corbin (a French variant) is more suited for a male.

I don't care for this name and don't recommend using it for an actual person but I do think that Raven is at least better than "Haven"
Though with Haven & Raven on the charts and both being trendy, I wouldn't be too surprised to see "Aven" enter. Maybe it will one of these years, sooner or later. Hopefully!

This name reminds me of two people; Raven Symone, and the character Raven from the Teen Titans cartoon. I don't have any real opinion of Raven Symone, but I love the character from Teen Titans and I loved the show growing up. So I do have a soft spot for the name, even though I agree it sounds a bit tacky and immature. I think of it as more feminine, though it can work as a masculine name.

My name is Raven and sometimes I don't like it because I don't really know many people with the name Raven. I know one person and I grew up with her but her name is spelled Ravyn instead of an e it's a y. I do love the poem 'The Raven' by Edgar Allen Poe.

Raven is my daughter's name. She is now 20. In the past 20 years we have knows two other Raven's who were both boys. One was her age, one was much older. Her friends sometimes call her Ray. I like that it could be used for a girl or boy. She (is very girly) wishes I would have named her something prettier. That's so Raven came out when she was 4 and now it is a bit more common with girls but we still haven't met any.

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As a side note: I am also writing a book and the romantic male lead has this same name.

Raven is a bird, black bird. Yes, also from a show called Teen Titans, but if you want to find out about the name Raven, then don't look at Teen Titans for help.
My personal impression of the name is that it's an awesome, rare name.

I would be careful to name a person this. It takes a certain character to really pull this name off in later life. I know from the experience of bearing this name as a child. I was taunted mercilessly in Sunday school and summer grade school. I could also say that I have been cursed with sores and losing my family. Personally, I am talking about my own experiences. Raven is a beautiful and great name for some. It just wasn't for me. Plus, I was born blonde and my hair is now dark blonde. A name has some merit on your health and the way people look at you. And also remember you by. To keep my mother happy, I changed it to Rayelle. I still like both names. But I want to be called Lilac or Flower. To bloom forth out of.

I named my son Corbin and the meaning is Raven. I originally named him after an actor on Lonesome Dove. But when I started digging into the meaning I found that Ravens are known to the Native American culture as a symbol of faith and good health. The Raven brought light into the dark. And at the time of my life he was born I was in much need of his light! Being as my family history stems from the Native Americans it's a perfect fit. Ravens are mistaken for Crows... CROWS are associated with WAR and DEATH. Do your homework people.

I named my daughter this when she was born In 2012 and I have only met one Raven since. I personally can't see it as a masculine name. We picked Raven Whitley as her first and middle because of family history, not because an actress. I think it is a beautiful name and suits her well, seeing as how she is dark haired, blue eyed, and sneaky.

The name Raven sounds like it should belong to either a black girl or to a dark-haired, brooding white girl who writes a lot of poetry. Either way, it doesn't seem like a name for a baby who has a chance of growing up to be a cheerful blonde.

I love this name. :) It is not at all "trendy". Thankfully, Raven isn't of those names that screams the word "trashy".

I think the name Raven is beautiful and Gothic. I would name someone this.

Beautiful name, on either male or female.

My name is Raven actually. And personally, I love my name! I think it works well for me and I love sharing my story of why exactly my parents named me Raven. I was not named after the actress, she wasn't famous yet at the time. My father picked the name. He's from London, England. And he grew up near the Tower of London which is guarded by Ravens ( the bird). The legend is if the ravens were ever to leave the Tower, the tower would fall. He loved the name ever since. And I love having this name because it's symbolic of something. I couldn't be happier with it.

I love ravens-they're beautiful and creepy! I would never call a boy Raven. It's quite feminine. Ravenna is also cool:)

I think people ought to be careful of calling a name trendy or ridiculous just because you don't understand why someone would choose it. Americans especially may only be aware of your own impression of the name, and not the historical use of the name, or the family history behind naming a child Raven. We named our daughter Raven in 1981 - long before Raven Symone was ever thought about. Our last name, McKie, comes from the Scottish clan, who were great warriors for the Protestant Church and the Gospel. The McKie clan history involves a test where our McKie warrior had to prove his skill with a bow. He shot two ravens with one arrow, then went on to lead in the fight for the Protestant church in Scotland. It is such an important part of our family history that the clan's shield contains an arrow with two ravens on it. The place where the shot was made was named the craig of the two ravens. When we researched our family history we chose the name Raven based on that story - long before we ever knew anyone else named Raven. Though you may think it sounds ridiculous because of a popular actress with the same name, not everyone selects that name for that reason. The name holds a meaning of respect, skill and heroism in our family.

To me, this name is tacky and made-up. Sorry. Had to get that out there. Ravenna is cool enough, but I don't find Raven pretty AT ALL. And people spell it "tryndee" like Ravynne. I think this name and all its variants are ugly. Sorry to the Ravens.

I love it! I think it sounds beautiful and gothic.

I once met a man named Raven. He was a nice guy, but I honestly felt a bit sorry for him. The name is gothic, youthful, and, in my opinion, feminine. It won't suit a middle-aged woman and it especially won't fit on any snooty bimbo or intelligent business woman. Plus, the whole "bad omen" thing isn't a nice meaning for any name.

I love this name. However, it is ridiculously gothic, so I doubt many people could get away with naming their child Raven. ;)

I happen to love this name! A good friend of mine is named Raven. The cool thing about her name is that it is really easy to remember for some reason. No one has gotten her name wrong yet (remembering who she is AND her name spelling). That's lucky!

Raven: one of those quintessential goth names. Whenever I hear this as a name, I think of a girl who is obsessed with vampire movies, black clothes, depression, drugs, and cutting herself. It also brings to mind a porn star. Not a very classy name.

The actual bird is cool, the name is hideously trendy.

I like this name on either gender, but I prefer it on boys because it sounds WAY too trendy for girls. It sounds really mysterious on guys, though. It also makes me think of That's So Raven when I hear it on girls, and I hate that show. -.-

My guess is that this name is very popular with young, naive, and immature parents who don't really bother thinking past how cool and edgy the name sounds on a young person to consider how strange it might sound on a very conventional middle-aged person. This doesn't really sound like a feminine name to me, and it will sound very bizarre on a person who looks conventional, no matter the age or sex. Don't even think about giving this name to someone who doesn't have dark hair. It will not work. This sounds like the name of some pale, black-haired, angst-ridden teen boy. I suppose such teens pick this name for their future child, regardless of their sex.

It's a cool name but it sounds almost negative.

Love, love, LOVE Ravenna (rah-VENN-uh) but I can't stand Raven. Too trendy!

Like the person before me, I met a girl named Raeven. I agree that her parents should have spelled it correctly. With the added E it looks tacky.

I met a girl named Raeven. I don't like it and her parents could have at least named her Raven.

'Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."'
I like ravens, and think I'd like this too, if it didn't summon up images of sulky goth teens. Or have so many horrendous 'alternative' spellings, like Raevin and Rayvyn. Urgh.

I personally think that Raven sounds good as a boy's name.

I think this name CAN work for people, and I like it. It gives me the image of a very strong, maybe mysterious person. I know it may be looked at as meaning death, but it is also associated with intelligence. It doesn't give me a negative feeling. I think it works better on a boy than a girl though.

It's okay, even though as someone pointed out ravens are usually very negative symbols. As far as a name, it's nice, but it has too much association with the girl from That's So Raven for me, and I really hate that show.

I find this more of a name for a girl rather than a boy. No offense to boys named this out there, just saying what I think.

I'd like this name because of Poe's poem, if it weren't so trendy.

I met a boy with this name the other day and I felt that it really suited him, just like it suits the female bearer than I know. I personally think this name is one of the few that works for either gender!

Yuck. Trennnnndyyy!

No offense, but I have just never liked this name for a person.

Raven is a wonderful name. It is beautiful and mysterious at the same time. I don't think it's necessary to think it's evil just because the bird is black and Raven DOES NOT mean death. Like it says here, it simply means "black bird."

This name is NOT a bad omen and in the bible it is a good thing. The birds that fed Elijah, hello. Since this is my middle name I quite like it and the fact it is unique. People are always saying it's awesome and I am proud to have it as my nickname and middle name.

I think this name means "Bad Omen" since it is often used as a bad sign. Like in Edgar Alan Poe's "The Raven". Or that movie called "Omen" where the Raven kills people. That is my opinion of the name.