What does Soraya mean?
Soraya names the Pleiades star cluster in Persian.
What does Roxana mean?
Roxana means “dawn,” “bright” or “radiant”; she married Alexander the Great.
Soraya vs Roxana
Which is more popular?
Soraya is more popular than Roxana today: about 313 US babies were given the name Soraya in 2025, compared with 77 named Roxana.
| Soraya | Roxana | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The Pleiades | Dawn, radiant |
| Origin | Persian | Persian |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | soh-RY-ah | rok-SAN-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1955 | 1882 |
| Peak year | 2025 (313) | 1991 (315) |
| In 2025 | 313 | 77 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Soraya
Roxana
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Soraya | Roxana |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,517 | 555 |
| 2010s | 1,963 | 1,270 |
| 2000s | 1,580 | 2,304 |
| 1990s | 629 | 2,517 |
| 1980s | 422 | 2,272 |
| 1970s | 313 | 944 |
| 1960s | 326 | 690 |
| 1950s | 61 | 588 |
| 1940s | 0 | 395 |
| 1930s | 0 | 185 |
| 1920s | 0 | 133 |
| 1910s | 0 | 67 |
| 1900s | 0 | 31 |
| 1890s | 0 | 17 |
| 1880s | 0 | 26 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Soraya or Roxana more popular?
Soraya is more popular than Roxana today: about 313 US babies were given the name Soraya in 2025, compared with 77 named Roxana.
What is the difference between Soraya and Roxana?
Soraya means The Pleiades (Persian origin), while Roxana means Dawn, radiant (Persian origin).
Which name is older, Soraya or Roxana?
In US records, Soraya first appears in 1955 and Roxana in 1882, so Roxana has the longer recorded history.