Roxana is the Latin form of the Persian and Bactrian Roshanak, which means "bright" or "dawn". Its most famous bearer was the Bactrian princess who married Alexander the Great in 327 BC, and the name has been popular in Spanish-speaking countries ever since Daniel Defoe's novel revived it in Europe. In the United States Roxana stood at number 1058 in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2001, peaked at number 861 in 2002 and ranks number 2366 in 2025.