Neena
An Indian feminine name meaning "beautiful lady".
Name Census estimates that about 1,614 living Americans carry the first name Neena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neena today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neena births was 2004 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neena. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 212,363 Americans
Peak year
2004
48 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,269
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Neena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neena from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 395 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neena 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 Neena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Neenas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Neena, while Virginia, Texas, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neena
The name Neena is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages. The name is derived from the word "Neena," which means "praise" or "admiration." It is a name that has been in use for centuries, particularly in the Indian subcontinent.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Neena can be found in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures. It is mentioned in the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, which is believed to have been composed between 1500 and 1000 BCE. In the Rigveda, the name Neena is associated with the goddess of speech and learning, Vāk.
Throughout history, the name Neena has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Neena, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 7th century CE. Her works, which focused on Sanskrit grammar and poetry, were highly influential in her time and are still studied today.
Another notable figure with the name Neena was Neena Gupta, an Indian actress and director born in 1959. She is best known for her roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Badhaai Ho" and "Mulk." Gupta has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to Indian cinema.
In the field of Indian classical music, Neena Shyam, born in 1935, was a celebrated Hindustani classical vocalist. She was honored with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India's highest honor in the performing arts, in 1992.
Neena Kulkarni, born in 1958, is a renowned Indian author and journalist. She has written several novels and non-fiction works, exploring themes of feminism, social issues, and Indian culture. Her book "Sahitya Akademi Award" won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2006.
Neena Bhandari, born in 1940, was an Indian social activist and women's rights advocate. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Indian women's rights movement and worked tirelessly to promote education, health, and economic empowerment for women in India.
The name Neena has a rich cultural heritage and a long history, rooted in the ancient Sanskrit language and Indian traditions. It has been borne by many notable individuals throughout the centuries, who have made significant contributions in various fields, including literature, performing arts, journalism, and social activism.
People
Neena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neena 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
Neena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,614 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neena 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 212,363 US residents.
Is Neena a common name?
We classify Neena as "Rare". It ranks above 92.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,764 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neena most popular?
The single biggest year for Neena was 2004, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neena is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Neena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neena 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.