Indra
Lord of rain and thunderstorms in Hindu mythology.
Name Census estimates that about 875 living Americans carry the first name Indra. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 87.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Indra today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Indra births was 2020 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Indra. 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
875
~ 1 in 391,719 Americans
Peak year
2020
35 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,736
Tracked since 1951
Gender
Gender distribution for Indra
Indra leans heavily female at 87.3% of total registrations, but 117 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Indra as a male name
- Ranked #5,736 in 2024
- 16 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (16 births)
Indra as a female name
- Ranked #10,559 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (28 births)
Popularity
Indra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Indra from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 219 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Indra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Indra 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 Indra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Indras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Indra, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Indra
The given name Indra has its origins in ancient Indian culture and mythology. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "indu," meaning "drop" or "moon," reflecting its association with celestial bodies and natural phenomena. The name is closely linked to the Vedic deity Indra, the king of the gods and the god of rain, thunder, and storms in Hindu mythology.
Indra is a prominent figure in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most sacred Hindu scriptures, where he is celebrated for his heroic deeds and his ability to bring rain and fertility to the earth. The name Indra is mentioned numerous times throughout the Vedic texts, solidifying its significance in ancient Indian culture and religious traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Indra can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, where it is borne by a prominent warrior and ally of the Pandavas. In this epic, Indra is depicted as a formidable fighter and a protector of the righteous.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Indra. One of the most famous is Indra Devi (1899-2002), a renowned Russian-born yoga teacher who played a pivotal role in popularizing yoga in the West. She was instrumental in introducing yoga to Hollywood celebrities and promoting its practice globally.
Another notable bearer of the name is Indra Nooyi (born 1955), the former CEO of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018. She was one of the few women to lead a major Fortune 500 company and was instrumental in driving PepsiCo's growth and expansion during her tenure.
In the realm of literature, Indra Sengupta (born 1972) is a celebrated Indian author and poet whose works often explore themes of identity, diaspora, and cultural integration. Her novels, such as "Invisible Maps" and "The Transformation," have garnered critical acclaim and recognition.
Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi (born 1955) is an Indian-American business executive who served as the CEO of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018. She was one of the few women to lead a major Fortune 500 company and was instrumental in driving PepsiCo's growth and expansion during her tenure.
Indra Devi (1899-2002), also known as Eugenie Peterson, was a renowned Russian-born yoga teacher who played a pivotal role in popularizing yoga in the West. She introduced yoga to Hollywood celebrities and helped promote its practice globally, leaving a lasting impact on the spread of yoga beyond its Indian origins.
People
Indra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Indra 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
Indra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Indra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 875 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Indra 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 391,719 US residents.
Is Indra a common name?
We classify Indra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 920 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Indra most popular?
The single biggest year for Indra was 2020, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Indra is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Indra a female name?
Yes, 87.3% of people registered as Indra 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.