Avanti
An Italian name referring to "forward" or "moving ahead".
Name Census estimates that about 394 living Americans carry the first name Avanti. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Avanti today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Avanti births was 1987 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Avanti. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
394
~ 1 in 869,935 Americans
Peak year
1987
19 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,540
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Avanti
Avanti leans heavily female at 85.9% of total registrations, but 57 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Avanti as a male name
- Ranked #12,540 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 1987 (10 births)
Avanti as a female name
- Ranked #13,641 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1986 (16 births)
Popularity
Avanti: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Avanti from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 103 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Avanti remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Avanti by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Avanti during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Avanti
The given name Avanti originates from the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the root of many modern Indian languages. Avanti was the name of an ancient region in central India, corresponding to the present-day state of Madhya Pradesh. The name itself is derived from the Sanskrit word "avanti," which means "the last" or "the end."
In Hindu mythology, Avanti is mentioned in several ancient texts, including the Mahabharata and the Puranas. It was the capital of the Avanti kingdom, ruled by King Virata, who played a crucial role in the Mahabharata epic. The region was also considered sacred, as it was home to several ancient Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Avanti can be found in the Mahabharata, where it refers to the Avanti kingdom and its people. Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Avanti, although it is relatively uncommon compared to other Sanskrit-derived names.
One notable figure was Avanti Sundari (1924-1996), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer from West Bengal. She was a pioneer in the revival and promotion of the Rabindra Nritya dance form, based on the works of the renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Another famous Avanti was Avanti Baruah (1910-1981), an Indian politician and freedom fighter from Assam. She was a member of the Indian National Congress and actively participated in the Indian independence movement, serving as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
In the field of literature, Avanti Parameswaran (1938-2022) was a prominent Indian English writer and academic. She was known for her novels and short stories that explored themes of identity, culture, and the experience of the Indian diaspora.
Avanti Nagrath (born 1982) is a contemporary Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her performances in the Odissi dance style. She has received several prestigious awards and accolades for her contributions to the field of Indian classical dance.
Avanti Devi (1901-1994) was a renowned Indian poet and writer who wrote in the Maithili language. She was a pioneering figure in the literary renaissance of the Maithili language and played a significant role in promoting the cultural identity of the Mithila region.
These are some notable individuals who have borne the name Avanti throughout history, highlighting its connection to Indian culture, literature, and the arts.
People
Avanti + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Avanti as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Avanti: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Avanti?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 394 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Avanti going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 869,935 US residents.
Is Avanti a common name?
We classify Avanti as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 404 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Avanti most popular?
The single biggest year for Avanti was 1987, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Avanti is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Avanti a female name?
Yes, 85.9% of people registered as Avanti in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.