Nirvana
A Sanskrit masculine name meaning the transcendent state in Buddhist philosophy.
Name Census estimates that about 1,550 living Americans carry the first name Nirvana. It is a predominantly female name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Nirvana today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nirvana births was 2022 (116 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nirvana. 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.
Key insights
- • Nirvana is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.6K
~ 1 in 221,132 Americans
Peak year
2022
116 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,204
Tracked since 1973
Gender
Gender distribution for Nirvana
Out of the 1,570 babies given the name Nirvana since 1880, 99.2% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Nirvana as a male name
- Ranked #13,611 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (7 births)
Nirvana as a female name
- Ranked #2,204 in 2024
- 86 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (116 births)
Popularity
Nirvana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nirvana 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 650 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nirvana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nirvana 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 Nirvana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nirvanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Nirvana, while Washington, Indiana, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 51 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nirvana
The name Nirvana finds its origins in ancient Sanskrit, an Indo-Aryan language that flourished in the Indian subcontinent during the second millennium BCE. Derived from the Sanskrit word 'nirvana,' meaning 'extinguished' or 'blown out,' it signifies the state of liberation and freedom from the cycle of rebirth and suffering in Buddhist philosophy.
Nirvana is a central concept in Buddhism, representing the ultimate spiritual goal of enlightenment and release from the endless cycle of reincarnation and suffering. It is a state of profound peace and freedom from worldly attachments, desires, and delusions. The name is deeply rooted in Buddhist teachings and holds significant spiritual and philosophical significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nirvana can be found in the ancient Buddhist texts, such as the Pali Canon and the Mahayana sutras, which date back to the 5th century BCE. These sacred texts contain numerous references to the concept of Nirvana and its profound implications for spiritual seekers.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nirvana, although its usage as a personal name has been relatively uncommon. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Nirvana Chaitanya (1469-1538), a renowned Indian Hindu mystic and spiritual leader who founded the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition within Hinduism.
Another notable figure was Nirvana Upanishad (c. 800 CE), an influential Indian philosopher and author of the Upanishad bearing her name, which explores the concept of Nirvana and its attainment through spiritual practices.
In the realm of literature, the name Nirvana has been associated with notable authors and poets. Nirvana Kumari (1927-2011) was a renowned Indian poet and writer who explored themes of spirituality and the human condition in her works.
Nirvana has also been used as a name in the world of performing arts. Nirvana Natarajan (born 1978) is an acclaimed Indian classical dancer and choreographer, known for her mastery of the Bharatanatyam dance form.
Lastly, the name Nirvana gained widespread recognition in the late 20th century through the influential American rock band Nirvana, formed in 1987 and led by the iconic singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain (1967-1994). The band's music and its association with the grunge movement brought the name into mainstream consciousness, although it was not used as a personal name in this context.
People
Nirvana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nirvana 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
Nirvana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nirvana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,550 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nirvana 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 221,132 US residents.
Is Nirvana a common name?
We classify Nirvana as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,570 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nirvana most popular?
The single biggest year for Nirvana was 2022, when 116 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nirvana is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nirvana a female name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Nirvana 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.