Indi
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 820 living Americans carry the first name Indi. It is a predominantly female name (93.6% of registrations). The average person named Indi today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Indi births was 2023 (99 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Indi. 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
820
~ 1 in 417,993 Americans
Peak year
2023
99 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2023 SSA rank
#2,669
Tracked since 1967
Gender
Gender distribution for Indi
Indi leans heavily female at 93.6% of total registrations, but 53 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Indi as a male name
- Ranked #9,227 in 2023
- 8 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2021 (11 births)
Indi as a female name
- Ranked #2,669 in 2024
- 65 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (91 births)
Popularity
Indi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Indi from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 404 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Indi 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 Indi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Indis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Texas, Utah recorded the most babies named Indi, while Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Indi
The name Indi has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, where it was used to refer to the revered Indus River, one of the major rivers in the region. The name is closely linked to the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished around 3300-1300 BCE in the northwestern regions of modern-day India and Pakistan.
Indi is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu," which means "river" or "ocean." This name was initially associated with the Indus River, but over time, it became closely connected with the people and culture of the Indus Valley region. In ancient Hindu mythology, the Indus River was considered sacred and was often personified as a goddess.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Indi can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most revered Hindu scriptures, composed around 1500-1200 BCE. In this text, the name is mentioned in connection with the Indus River and the surrounding territories.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Indi. One of the most famous was Indi Sawhney (1925-2011), an Indian architect and urban planner who played a significant role in shaping the modern landscape of New Delhi. Another prominent figure was Indi Khaanji (1919-2001), an Indian writer and poet known for her works in the Sindhi language.
In the realm of art and culture, Indi Rana (1930-2018) was a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms. Indi Cowie (1944-2020) was a British actress and author, best known for her roles in television series such as "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "The Forsyte Saga."
Moving to the field of sports, Indi Grewal (born 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who has represented her country in several international tournaments.
While the name Indi has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions over time. Its connection to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and the sacred Indus River has imbued it with a rich historical and cultural significance.
People
Indi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Indi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Indi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Indi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 820 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Indi 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 417,993 US residents.
Is Indi a common name?
We classify Indi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 829 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Indi most popular?
The single biggest year for Indi was 2023, when 99 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Indi is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Indi a female name?
Yes, 93.6% of people registered as Indi 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.