Gayathri
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "song" or "hymn".
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the first name Gayathri. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gayathri today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gayathri births was 2006 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gayathri. 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
131
~ 1 in 2,616,445 Americans
Peak year
2006
13 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,130
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Gayathri: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gayathri from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 93 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gayathri 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 Gayathri during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gayathris live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gayathri
The name Gayathri has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. It is derived from the word 'Gayatri,' which refers to a sacred Hindu mantra from the Rig Veda, one of the oldest known scriptures in the world. The Gayatri mantra is considered one of the most powerful and revered mantras in Hinduism, dedicated to the Sun deity, Savitri.
The name Gayathri is closely associated with Hindu mythology and religious texts. It is believed to have been first mentioned in the Rig Veda, which dates back to around 1500-1200 BCE. The name gained significance as it became linked to the Gayatri mantra, a sacred verse that is widely recited by Hindus during their daily prayers and spiritual practices.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gayathri can be found in the epic Sanskrit poem, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around 400 BCE-400 CE. In this ancient text, Gayathri is mentioned as the daughter of the sage Vishvamitra and the wife of the renowned sage, Brahmarshi Vashishtha.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gayathri. One of the most famous was Gayathri Devi (1919-2009), the third Maharani of Jaipur and a prominent figure in Indian politics. She was known for her elegance, beauty, and her role in preserving the cultural heritage of Rajasthan.
Another notable figure was Gayathri Rajarathnam (1928-2022), an Indian freedom fighter and social activist who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. She was also a prominent advocate for women's rights and empowerment.
In the field of literature, Gayathri Chakravorty Spivak (born 1942) is a renowned literary theorist, philosopher, and university professor. She is best known for her influential work in postcolonial theory and her analysis of the works of Jacques Derrida.
Gayathri Bhuvanendra (born 1972) is a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She has been recognized for her contributions to the art of Bharatanatyam, a major form of Indian classical dance.
Lastly, Gayathri Raghuram (born 1986) is an accomplished Indian chess player and former chess prodigy. She achieved the title of Grandmaster at a young age and has won numerous international chess tournaments.
People
Gayathri + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gayathri as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gayathri: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gayathri?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 131 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gayathri 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 2,616,445 US residents.
Is Gayathri a common name?
We classify Gayathri as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 133 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gayathri most popular?
The single biggest year for Gayathri was 2006, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gayathri is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gayathri a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gayathri 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.