The word is the name of a bird,[2] which is ultimately derived from the Old English hræfn.

However, in some cases Ravenna may also represent a more elaborately feminine form of Raven.

In some cases the surname is derived from the Old Norse and Old English personal names already mentioned.

The following surnames are examples of names from which the modern surname Raven is derived: filius Reuene, in Yorkshire, 1086; le Reven, in Worcestershire, 1327; and atte Raven, in London, 1344.

[7] In the United States of America and in Britain Raven is more commonly used as a feminine than a masculine name.