River

“A naturally flowing watercourse” — English origin

Girl's name · #219 in the US (2025) · 2020s

River has appeared in US records since 1988 — best rank #149 (2021) · 19,675 babies named River all-time · 1 in 1,100 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 430 girls in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 770 girls in New Zealand (2025) · about 1 in 880 girls in England & Wales (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Rivers

River Gallo — American filmmaker, actor, model, and intersex rights activist
River Medway — British drag queen
River Moon — South African electronic musician

In stories & tradition

River Song — Doctor Who
River Tam — Firefly · Serenity Role Playing Game

What Rivers become

Among 43 notable people named River:

Entertainers appear 3.75× more often than among typical names — e.g. River Gallo, American filmmaker, actor, model, and intersex rights activist.

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.