Nari
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "woman" or "daughter".
Name Census estimates that about 481 living Americans carry the first name Nari. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nari today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nari births was 2023 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nari. 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
481
~ 1 in 712,587 Americans
Peak year
2023
44 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,931
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Nari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nari from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 197 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
Nari 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 Nari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Nari, while Ohio, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nari
The name Nari is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back several millennia. Sanskrit was the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and the language of ancient texts, scriptures, and philosophical works in India.
In Sanskrit, the word "nari" means "woman" or "female." It is derived from the root word "nar," which means "man" or "human." The name Nari is thought to have been used as a term of endearment or a way to refer to a beloved or cherished woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nari can be found in the Vedas, which are a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures composed between 1500 and 500 BCE. In the Vedas, the term "nari" is used to describe female deities and goddesses, as well as mortal women.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nari. One of the most famous was Nari Kaluokalani, a Hawaiian queen who ruled the island of Kauai in the early 19th century. She was known for her efforts to preserve Hawaiian culture and traditions in the face of Western influence.
Another notable individual named Nari was Nari Gandhi, the granddaughter of the famous Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. She was a social activist and advocate for women's rights, and she played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
In the field of literature, Nari Shakti was a prominent Indian writer and poet who lived in the 19th century. Her works explored themes of feminism and social justice, and she was celebrated for her powerful and evocative writing.
Nari Contractor was an Indian architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of modern architecture in India. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban spaces in cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
Nari Ward is a contemporary American artist known for his sculptures and installations that explore issues of race, identity, and social justice. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, and he has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the arts.
While the name Nari has its roots in Sanskrit and Indian culture, it has been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over time. However, its core meaning and association with femininity and womanhood have remained consistent throughout its history.
People
Nari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nari as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 481 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nari 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 712,587 US residents.
Is Nari a common name?
We classify Nari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 486 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nari most popular?
The single biggest year for Nari was 2023, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nari is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nari a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nari 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.