Dinesha
A feminine name of Hindu origin meaning "day-like" or "radiant one".
Name Census estimates that about 232 living Americans carry the first name Dinesha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dinesha today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dinesha births was 1993 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dinesha. 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
232
~ 1 in 1,477,389 Americans
Peak year
1993
20 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2001 SSA rank
#14,020
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Dinesha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dinesha from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 128 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dinesha 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 Dinesha 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 Dinesha
The name Dinesha has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Sanskrit language. It is a feminine name that is derived from the Sanskrit word "dinesh," which means "leader" or "chief." The name can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, where it was used to refer to deities and prominent figures.
One of the earliest known references to the name Dinesha can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Dinesha is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra. This suggests that the name has been in use for centuries, dating back to at least the 4th century BCE.
Throughout the ages, several notable individuals have borne the name Dinesha. One of the most famous was Dinesha Devi, a Rajput princess who lived in the 16th century CE. She was renowned for her bravery and military skills, and played a significant role in defending her kingdom against invaders.
Another prominent figure named Dinesha was Dinesha Chauhan, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 12th century CE. She was celebrated for her literary works and her contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature.
In the modern era, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Dinesha is Dinesha Chandran, an Indian actress and model who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and TV shows. She was born in 1984 and has received several accolades for her performances on the big screen.
Another notable Dinesha is Dinesha Karthik, an Indian cricketer who has represented the Indian national team in various formats of the game. He was born in 1985 and is widely regarded as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world.
Lastly, Dinesha Patil is a renowned Indian social activist and environmentalist who has dedicated her life to the conservation of natural resources and the promotion of sustainable living. She was born in 1972 and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work in this field.
People
Dinesha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dinesha 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
Dinesha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dinesha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 232 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dinesha 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 1,477,389 US residents.
Is Dinesha a common name?
We classify Dinesha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 243 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dinesha most popular?
The single biggest year for Dinesha was 1993, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dinesha is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dinesha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dinesha 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.