Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2002

Ananda

Meaning Transliteration of Sanskrit आनन्द (ānanda) or Pali ānanda Gender Unisex · 94% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Transliteration of Sanskrit आनन्द (ānanda) or Pali ānanda.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Ananda
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2002
128 babies
All-time total
1,735
#5,411 all-time among girls
First recorded
1968
in Social Security records

Ananda popularity over time

1,735 babies have been named Ananda since 1968, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s 15 – 15 2 – #5,060
1970s 199 35 234 23 +1460% #2,613
1980s 173 5 178 18 -24% #3,654
1990s 349 – 349 35 +96% #1,668
2000s 691 21 712 71 +104% #1,484
2010s 155 42 197 20 -72% #4,988
2020s (to 2025) 42 8 50 8 -58% #9,669

The story of Ananda

Ananda is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1968, 1,735 American babies have been named Ananda, about 94% girls and 6% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2002, when 128 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ananda stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ananda?

The median living Ananda is about 25 years old; half are between 20 and 34. An estimated 1,700 people named Ananda are alive in the United States today.

median 25 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ananda year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 6 #13,611 – –
2023 10 #9,669 – –
2022 10 #9,723 – –
2021 7 #12,315 – –
2020 9 #10,315 8 #8,787
2019 7 #12,553 6 #10,888
2018 12 #8,659 6 #10,845
2017 – – 5 #12,368
2016 13 #8,442 5 #12,302
2015 17 #7,003 10 #7,526
2014 16 #7,332 – –
2013 20 #6,273 5 #12,247
2012 16 #7,486 – –
2011 26 #5,221 5 #12,391
2010 28 #4,988 – –
2009 27 #5,237 5 #12,598
2008 34 #4,462 6 #11,121
2007 61 #2,931 – –
2006 44 #3,568 – –
2005 51 #3,084 5 #11,559
2004 57 #2,812 – –
2003 65 #2,498 – –
2002 128 #1,484 – –
2001 109 #1,661 5 #10,647
2000 115 #1,552 – –
1995 9 #8,806 – –
1990 15 #5,845 – –
1985 22 #3,735 – –
1980 14 #4,987 5 #6,293
1975 29 #2,613 7 #4,337
1970 20 #3,213 – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Ananda

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ananda Mahidol Ananda Mahidol King of Thailand from 1935 to 1946 1925–1946 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Ananda Coomaraswamy Ananda Coomaraswamy Sri Lankan Tamil metaphysician (1877–1947) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ananda, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ananda?

The median living Ananda is about 25 years old. Half of all living Anandas are between 20 and 34 years old.

How many people named Ananda are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Ananda are alive in the United States, based on 1,735 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ananda mean?

Transliteration of Sanskrit आनन्द (ānanda) or Pali ānanda.

How popular is the name Ananda in 2025?

Ananda did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Ananda?

1,735 babies have been named Ananda in the United States since 1968, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ananda most popular?

Ananda peaked in 2002, when 128 newborns received the name.

Is Ananda a boy or girl name?

Ananda is used for both: about 94% of babies named Ananda have been girls and 6% boys.

Is the name Ananda rising or falling?

Ananda is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Ananda?

Well-known people named Ananda include Ananda Mahidol (politician), Ananda Coomaraswamy (philosopher).

Names like Ananda

Names that sound and feel close to Ananda: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ananda with similar names → More names starting with A →