Deeksha
An Indian feminine name meaning initiation or ordination.
Name Census estimates that about 293 living Americans carry the first name Deeksha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Deeksha today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Deeksha births was 2012 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Deeksha. 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
293
~ 1 in 1,169,810 Americans
Peak year
2012
29 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,764
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Deeksha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Deeksha from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 176 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Deeksha 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 Deeksha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Deekshas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Deeksha
The name Deeksha is a Sanskrit word that has its origins in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit root word "deeksh," which means "to initiate" or "to consecrate." The name is typically associated with the Hindu tradition and is often given to girls as a symbolic representation of their initiation into the spiritual path or as a reminder of their dedication to learning and self-improvement.
In Hindu scriptures and texts, the concept of "deeksha" holds significant importance. It is often used to refer to the ceremonial initiation or initiation into a particular spiritual practice or tradition. The Upanishads, which are ancient Hindu philosophical texts, mention the concept of "deeksha" as a means of attaining spiritual enlightenment and self-realization.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Deeksha can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, there is a character named Deeksha, who was the daughter of King Drupada. However, it is important to note that names in ancient texts were often symbolic and may not necessarily reflect the actual usage of the name at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Deeksha. One of the most famous was Deeksha Bhandari (1927-2015), an Indian social worker and activist who dedicated her life to empowering women and promoting education in rural areas of Rajasthan, India.
Another prominent figure was Deeksha Khanna (born 1982), an Indian television actress and model who has appeared in numerous popular shows and films. Deeksha Panickar (born 1987) is an Indian film actress and dancer who has worked primarily in Malayalam and Tamil cinema.
In the field of sports, Deeksha Gangwal (born 1990) is an Indian cricketer who has represented the Indian national women's cricket team. Deeksha Arya (born 1994) is an Indian chess player who has achieved the title of International Master and has won several national and international chess tournaments.
Overall, the name Deeksha has a rich cultural heritage and is deeply rooted in the spiritual traditions of ancient India. While its usage may have evolved over time, it continues to be a popular name choice, particularly among those with a connection to the Hindu faith or Indian culture.
People
Deeksha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Deeksha as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Deeksha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Deeksha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 293 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Deeksha 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 1,169,810 US residents.
Is Deeksha a common name?
We classify Deeksha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 296 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Deeksha most popular?
The single biggest year for Deeksha was 2012, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Deeksha is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Deeksha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Deeksha 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.