Chaitanya
An Indian masculine name meaning "consciousness" or "pure awareness".
Name Census estimates that about 164 living Americans carry the first name Chaitanya. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chaitanya today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chaitanya births was 1999 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chaitanya. 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
164
~ 1 in 2,089,965 Americans
Peak year
1999
14 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,485
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Chaitanya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chaitanya from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 91 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Chaitanya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chaitanya 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 Chaitanya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chaitanyas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Chaitanya
The name Chaitanya has its roots in the Sanskrit language, which originated in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "cit," meaning consciousness or awareness, and "anya," meaning other or distinct. The name thus translates to "pure consciousness" or "supreme awareness."
The earliest known record of the name Chaitanya appears in Hindu scriptures and texts, particularly in the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered Hindu texts. It is mentioned in reference to the state of divine consciousness and spiritual enlightenment that is the ultimate goal of human existence according to Hindu philosophy.
One of the most famous individuals to bear the name Chaitanya was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), a renowned Hindu mystic, saint, and founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition within Hinduism. He is revered as an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Krishna and is credited with reviving the Bhakti movement, which emphasizes devotional worship and love for the divine.
Another significant figure in history with the name Chaitanya was Chaitanya Deva (1917-1987), an Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher who founded the Ananda Marga movement. He emphasized the practice of meditation and yoga as a means of achieving self-realization and promoting universal peace.
In the field of literature, Chaitanya Bhagavata is a celebrated 16th-century Sanskrit work that chronicles the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It was written by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura, one of Mahaprabhu's prominent disciples.
The name Chaitanya has also been borne by several notable scholars and intellectuals, such as Chaitanya Rishi (1835-1899), a renowned Indian philosopher and social reformer who advocated for the empowerment of women and the abolition of caste-based discrimination.
Chaitanya Kaleluiya (1889-1963) was a prominent Indian educationist and social worker who dedicated his life to promoting education and social welfare, particularly in rural areas of Maharashtra.
While the name Chaitanya has its origins in Hinduism and Sanskrit, it has transcended religious boundaries and has been adopted by individuals across various cultures and belief systems, drawn to its profound meaning and spiritual connotations.
People
Chaitanya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chaitanya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chaitanya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chaitanya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 164 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chaitanya 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 2,089,965 US residents.
Is Chaitanya a common name?
We classify Chaitanya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 166 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chaitanya most popular?
The single biggest year for Chaitanya was 1999, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chaitanya is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chaitanya a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chaitanya in the SSA data are male. 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.