Roxana

Roxana is a Latinized variant of the ancient Greek name Rhōxā́nē (Ῥωξᾱ́νη), which has its origin in the Old Persian *rauxna-. The meaning of the name is often rendered as 'bright' or 'radiant', associating Roxana with 'the Radiant' or 'the Dawn'.

What does the name Roxana mean?

The name Roxana is derived from the ancient Greek Rhōxā́nē (Ῥωξᾱ́νη), which in turn comes from the Old Persian word *rauxna-, meaning 'bright' or 'radiant'. Thus, the translation of the name is 'the Radiant' or 'the Dawn'. Roxana, also known as Roxane, was a princess from Bactria in the 4th century BC and the first wife of Alexander the Great. The name became particularly widespread from the 18th century, especially in the English-speaking world, and was popularized by the eponymous novel by Daniel Defoe from 1724. Today, Roxana is mainly found in English and Spanish-speaking countries as well as in Romania, but it also appears in Germany. Alternative forms include Rosana, Roshanak, Rossana, Roxan, Roxane, Roxani, Roxanna, Roxanne, Roxette, Roxina, Roxyanna, Ruxana, and Ruxandra, while pet forms such as Roxi, Roxie, and Roxy exist.

Where does the name Roxana come from?

Roxana has its roots in Old Persian and means 'the Dawn' or 'the Radiant'.

How do you pronounce Roxana?

The pronunciation of the name Roxana is three syllables and melodious. It is typically pronounced as 'Ro-xa-na' [ʁɔkˈzaːna], with the consonant cluster '-x-' creating a distinctive middle. The open '-na' provides a warm ending, making the name powerful yet feminine.

When is the name day of Roxana?

June 18

Popularity

In Germany, the name Roxana enjoys great popularity. Currently, it ranks 1,921st in the list of the most common female first names. Its best placement was in 2007, when it reached 417th place. In the last ten years, Roxana has been given as a first name about 210 times, placing it 1,551st in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,435th.

Nicknames & pet names

Ana / Rammy / Ro-chan / Rocky / Rosi / Rosienchen / Rosinchen / Rox / Roxan / Roxani / Roxi / Roxibadoxi / Roxie / Roxo / Roxrox / Roxy / Xana

Similar first names

Famous people

• Barbara Roxana Wezorke (German volleyball player)
• Iuliana Roxana Nucu (Romanian volleyball player)
• Roxana Barca (Romanian long-distance runner)
• Roxana Briban (Romanian opera singer)
• Roxana Brusso (actress from Peru)
• Roxana Cogianu (rowing athlete from Romania)
• Roxana Condurache (Romanian actress)
• Roxana Diaz (actress from Venezuela)
• Roxana Dumitrescu (Romanian fencer)
• Roxana Han (Romanian handball player)
• Roxana Judkins Stinchfield Ferris (botanist from the USA)
• Roxana Kafati (Israeli model)
• Roxana Manouchehri (artist from Iran)
• Roxana Maracineanu (swimmer from the USA)
• Roxana McGowan (actress from the USA)
• Roxana Preussler (Argentinian long-distance runner)
• Roxana Robinson (writer from the USA)
• Roxana Scarlat (Romanian fencer)
• Roxana Zal (actress from the USA)