Roxanna is of Persian origin, meaning 'dawn' or 'the dawn light'. It was introduced into Europe through the popular novel 'An Expedition to the East' by Thomas Lally in 1763, which featured a heroine named Roxana. The name gained further popularity through Lord Byron's poem 'Don Juan', where it is used as one of the characters' names.
Roxanna is quite rare, with only 7 babies born with this name each year on average since 1987.