Pavi
A name of Sanskrit origin meaning "pure" or "holy".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Pavi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pavi today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pavi births was 1984 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pavi. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pavi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1984
7 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1984 SSA rank
#8,866
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Pavi: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Pavi 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 Pavi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Pavi
The name Pavi has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. The name can be traced back to the early centuries of the Common Era, and it is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "pavi," which means "pure" or "holy."
In Hindu mythology, Pavi is associated with the concept of purity and sanctity. It is believed that the name was given to individuals who were born into priestly or spiritual families, or those who were destined for a life dedicated to spiritual pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pavi can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, which is considered one of the oldest texts in the world, there is a mention of a sage named Pavi who was revered for his wisdom and spiritual knowledge.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures in Indian history have borne the name Pavi. One such individual was Pavi Pandita (1642-1701), a renowned scholar and philosopher from the Vijayanagara Empire in southern India. He was known for his expertise in Vedic literature and his contributions to the field of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Another famous Pavi was Pavi Ravishankar (1888-1976), a celebrated Indian classical musician and exponent of the Hindustani music tradition. He was widely recognized for his mastery of the sitar and his innovative approach to music composition.
In more recent times, the name Pavi has been associated with several influential figures in various fields. Pavi Chowdhury (1933-2017) was an acclaimed Indian painter and sculptor, known for her vibrant and expressionist works that explored themes of feminism and social justice.
Pavi Mehta (born 1944) is a renowned Indian architect and urban planner, who has been recognized for her contributions to sustainable urban development and environmentally conscious design.
Pavi Shankar (born 1952) is an Indian-American author and journalist, best known for her award-winning novels that delve into the complexities of cultural identity and the immigrant experience.
While the name Pavi has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and ethnicities around the world.
People
Pavi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pavi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pavi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pavi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pavi 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Pavi a common name?
We classify Pavi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pavi most popular?
The single biggest year for Pavi was 1984, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pavi is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pavi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pavi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pavi 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.
Is Pavi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pavi in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pavi can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Pavi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.