Find out how popular the first name Indie has been for the last 45 years (from 1979 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Indie by gender

Based on the last 45 years of data, Indie is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 94% of people named Indie being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 514 female babies and 26 male babies born with the name Indie.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 26 baby boys were named Indie in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Indie

The name Indie is a modern English name that emerged in the late 20th century. It is derived from the word "independent," which comes from the Latin word "independens," meaning "not depending on another." The name reflects a sense of individuality, freedom, and self-reliance.

While the name Indie itself does not have a long historical lineage, it has been influenced by the rise of independent music and film movements, particularly the indie rock and indie film genres. These artistic movements celebrate a DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit and a rejection of mainstream corporate culture.

The earliest recorded use of the name Indie dates back to the 1980s, coinciding with the emergence of the indie rock scene in the United States and the United Kingdom. One of the first notable individuals to bear the name was Indie Namal, a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter born in 1984.

Throughout history, there have been a few individuals with similar names or nicknames that may have influenced the popularity of Indie. For example, Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India (1917-1984), had a name derived from the Sanskrit word "Indu," meaning "moon."

Another notable figure was Indira Devi, a Nepali princess and writer (1915-1982), whose name also had Sanskrit roots. Additionally, there was Indiana Ellison, an American actress and singer (1932-1984), whose nickname "Indie" may have contributed to the name's recognition.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the name Indie are:

1. Indie Rock, an American singer-songwriter born in 1991.
2. Indie Chua, a Singaporean singer and songwriter born in 1992.
3. Indie Merrill, an American actress born in 1995.
4. Indie Anderson, an American model and social media personality born in 1997.
5. Indie Camingue, a Filipino actress born in 1999.

As the indie culture gained momentum in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the name Indie became increasingly popular as a way to express nonconformity, creativity, and a unique identity.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Indie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Indie, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!