Name profile

GirlPronounced American English /ɹɑk.ˈsæn.ə/; British English /ɹɒk.ˈsæn.ə/; Spanish /rok.ˈsa.na/Romanian language family

Roxana

A name meaning "bright, shining".

Quick answer

Roxana is a girl name meaning "bright, shining".

Pronunciation: American English /ɹɑk.ˈsæn.ə/; British English /ɹɒk.ˈsæn.ə/; Spanish /rok.ˈsa.na/.

GenderGirl
Meaningbright, shining
PronunciationAmerican English /ɹɑk.ˈsæn.ə/; British English /ɹɒk.ˈsæn.ə/; Spanish /rok.ˈsa.na/
Language familyRomanian

Meaning and history

Latin form of Ῥωξάνη (Rhoxane), the Greek form of an Old Persian or Bactrian name, from Old Iranian * rauxšnā meaning "bright, shining". This was the name of Alexander the Great's first wife, a daughter of the Bactrian nobleman Oxyartes. In the modern era it came into use during the 17th century. In the English-speaking world it was popularized by Daniel Defoe, who used it in his novel Roxana (1724).

Notes and context

Usage: english, spanish, romanian, ancient greek | Ancient Greek: Ῥωξάνη