Baby name
Rhiannon
/ree · AN · uhn/
Meaning
“Possibly great queen”
Probably from an ancient Celtic name reconstructed as Rigantona, joining the word for 'queen' with a divine suffix, together read as 'great queen'. Scholars think Rigantona may have been a Celtic goddess linked to fertility and horses. In the medieval Welsh tale collection the Mabinogi, Rhiannon is a magical woman who rides a white horse and marries the hero Pwyll.
Nicknames
rhia · rhi · ria · nonny
Vibe
How it ages.
Rooted in Welsh myth and a 1970s hit song; reads as a distinctive choice for families drawn to Celtic legend.
The cultural moment.
In the United States, Rhiannon entered the top 1000 at #593 in 1976 and peaked at #418 in 1977; it was last ranked #934 in 2007 and has not reappeared in the top 1000 since. In the United Kingdom and Australia, it became popular after the 1976 Fleetwood Mac song of the same name.