Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2011

Arnav

Meaning ocean, sea Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,887 Trend ↓ Falling 46%

From Sanskrit अर्णव (arṇava, “ocean, sea”).

Rank 2025
#2,887
among boys · ↑914 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
43
named Arnav · +48% vs 2024
How common
1 in 39,723
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2011
249 babies
All-time total
3,585
#2,264 all-time among boys
First recorded
1991
in Social Security records

Arnav popularity over time

3,585 babies have been named Arnav since 1991, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2011Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s 90 9 – #2,946
2000s 1,597 160 +1674% #875
2010s 1,651 165 +3% #855
2020s (to 2025) 247 41 -75% #2,294

Where Arnav is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 39 0.02 outside top 500
2027 36 0.02 outside top 500
2028 34 0.02 outside top 500
2029 32 0.02 outside top 500
2030 30 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Arnav

Arnav is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,887 in 2025 with 43 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1991, 3,585 American babies have been named Arnav. Its peak came in 2011, when 249 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Arnav stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Arnav?

The median living Arnav is about 15 years old; half are between 11 and 19. An estimated 3,500 people named Arnav are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

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

Arnav year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 43 #2,887
2024 29 #3,801
2023 36 #3,298
2022 42 #2,968
2021 38 #3,127
2020 59 #2,294
2019 76 #1,939
2018 75 #1,961
2017 92 #1,708
2016 126 #1,389
2015 103 #1,567
2014 242 #891
2013 229 #907
2012 243 #868
2011 249 #855
2010 216 #933
2009 241 #875
2008 203 #979
2007 205 #959
2006 199 #941
2005 179 #972
2004 194 #895
2003 158 #1,001
2002 107 #1,268
2001 70 #1,659
2000 41 #2,333
1995 8 #6,449
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Arnav?

The median living Arnav is about 15 years old. Half of all living Arnavs are between 11 and 19 years old.

How many people named Arnav are alive today?

An estimated 3,500 people named Arnav are alive in the United States, based on 3,585 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Arnav mean?

From Sanskrit अर्णव (arṇava, “ocean, sea”).

How popular is the name Arnav in 2025?

Arnav ranked #2,887 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 43 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Arnav?

3,585 babies have been named Arnav in the United States since 1991, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Arnav most popular?

Arnav peaked in 2011, when 249 newborns received the name.

Is Arnav a boy or girl name?

Arnav is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Arnav rising or falling?

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

Will Arnav become more popular?

Arnav is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 30 boys named Arnav in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Arnav

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

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