Find out how popular the first name Krishna has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Krishna by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Krishna is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 57% of people named Krishna being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 53 male babies and 16 female babies born with the name Krishna.

The history of the first name Krishna

The name Krishna originates from the Sanskrit language of ancient India, with its earliest known use dating back to the late Vedic period around the 5th century BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kṛṣṇa," meaning "black" or "dark blue," and is believed to be associated with the deity of the same name in Hindu mythology.

Krishna is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred scripture that forms part of the epic. In these ancient texts, Krishna is revered as an avatar (incarnation) of the Hindu god Vishnu and plays a pivotal role in guiding the Pandava princes during the great war of Kurukshetra.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Krishna was Krishna Dvaipayan Vyasa, the legendary sage who is credited with compiling the Vedas and authoring the Mahabharata and the Puranas. He is believed to have lived around the 5th century BCE.

Another notable historical figure was Krishna Devaraya, the renowned emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire in southern India, who ruled from 1509 to 1529 CE. He was a great patron of literature, art, and architecture, and his reign is considered a golden age in the history of Karnataka.

In the 16th century, the Indian saint and philosopher Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, also known as Krishna Chaitanya (1486-1533 CE), played a significant role in the Bhakti movement and the spread of Vaishnavism, a tradition that reveres Vishnu and his avatars, including Krishna.

During the Indian independence movement, Krishna Varma (1887-1924) was a prominent Indian revolutionary and leader of the Ghadar Party, which advocated for India's independence from British rule.

In more recent times, Krishna Raj Kapoor (1926-1988) was a renowned Indian actor and producer who starred in several iconic Bollywood films and helped shape the Hindi film industry.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Krishna, a name that holds deep cultural and religious significance in the Indian subcontinent.

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 Krishna was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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