| Farah | Rania | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Joy, happiness | Gazing intently; beholding |
| Origin | Arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FAH-rah | RAH-nee-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1960 | 1963 |
| Peak year | 2012 (178) | 2006 (128) |
| In 2025 | 164 | 65 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Farah | Rania |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 973 | 473 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 1,024 |
| 2000s | 1,185 | 871 |
| 1990s | 863 | 298 |
| 1980s | 818 | 264 |
| 1970s | 710 | 176 |
| 1960s | 149 | 29 |
Farah means “joy” or “happiness” in Arabic.
Rania (رانية, raniya) derives from the root r-n-w and means 'gazing, looking intently', often with a sense of admiring or longing contemplation. It is widely known today through Queen Rania of Jordan.
Farah is more popular than Rania today: about 164 US babies were given the name Farah in 2025, compared with 65 named Rania.
Farah means Joy, happiness (Arabic origin), while Rania means Gazing intently; beholding (arabic origin).
In US records, Farah first appears in 1960 and Rania in 1963, so Farah has the longer recorded history.