River
Say it: RIV-er
Boy and boyMeans river5 letters2 syllables
#372
in Ireland (2025)
#360 with spellings combined
10
babies in 2025
#293
best rank (2024)
92
babies since 2008
River through the years
Compare with another name →boysgirls
Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #360 | 3 | #850 |
| 2024 | 13 | #293 | 5 | #618 |
| 2023 | 13 | #308 | 6 | #543 |
| 2022 | 8 | #413 | 8 | #453 |
| 2021 | 9 | #377 | 6 | #571 |
| 2020 | 12 | #332 | 8 | #437 |
| 2019 | 9 | #389 | - | - |
| 2018 | - | - | 3 | #872 |
| 2017 | 4 | #610 | 3 | #872 |
| 2016 | 7 | #448 | 5 | #663 |
| 2011 | 4 | #623 | - | - |
| 2008 | 3 | #698 | - | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does River mean?
River
English, from the everyday word river.
Say it right
RIVer
The story of River
River is simply the English word for a flowing stream of water. It is one of a group of nature words, like Willow and Rowan, that parents have taken up as names in recent decades. It is used for both boys and girls. The American actor River Phoenix made it widely known in the 1980s.
In Ireland it is given to more boys than girls. River first reached the CSO list for boys in 2008 and for girls in 2016. Its busiest year for boys was 2023, with 13 boys, and its best rank was number 293 in 2024. For girls the busiest year was 2020, with 8 girls.
In 2025, 10 boys and 3 girls were named River in Ireland. It is used a little more evenly in Northern Ireland, where 8 girls were given the name in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: River (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: River (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| River | 10 | 92 |
In Northern Ireland
#199 in 2025 with 10 babies. Best rank #199 (2025); 39 babies since 2017.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
River is also given to girls: 47 since 2016, 3 in 2025.