Preeti
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning beloved, pretty, beautiful.
Name Census estimates that about 343 living Americans carry the first name Preeti. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Preeti today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Preeti births was 2000 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Preeti. 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
343
~ 1 in 999,284 Americans
Peak year
2000
18 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2009 SSA rank
#11,286
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Preeti: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Preeti from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 108 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
Preeti 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 Preeti during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Preetis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Preeti
The name Preeti has its origins in Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "priti," which means love, affection, or delight. The name has been in use for centuries and is primarily associated with Hindu culture and tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Preeti can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures known as the Puranas. These religious texts, which date back to the 3rd or 4th century CE, mention a goddess named Preeti, who is often depicted as a companion to the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi.
In the 12th century, the poet and philosopher Jayadeva wrote the famous Sanskrit poem "Gita Govinda," which contains references to a character named Preeti. This literary work is considered a masterpiece of devotional poetry and has had a significant influence on Indian art, music, and literature.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Preeti. One of the earliest recorded examples is Preeti Lata, a renowned Indian classical singer and Hindustani vocalist who lived in the 19th century (1818-1875). She was known for her exceptional talent and contribution to the preservation of classical Indian music.
Another prominent figure was Preeti Sagar (1914-1986), an Indian freedom fighter and social activist who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement. She was actively involved in the Quit India Movement and was imprisoned several times for her participation in the struggle against British rule.
In the field of literature, Preeti Patel (1921-2002) was an acclaimed Gujarati writer and poet. She was a recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honor, for her collection of poems titled "Kavita" in 1966.
Preeti Chandra (1934-2018) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was a skilled exponent of Kathak, one of the major classical dance forms of India, and played a significant role in popularizing and promoting this art form both nationally and internationally.
In more recent times, Preeti Shenoy (born 1971) is a popular Indian author and artist who has written several best-selling novels, including "Life is What You Make It" and "Wake Up, Life is Calling." Her works often explore themes of self-discovery, relationships, and the complexities of modern life.
People
Preeti + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Preeti 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
Preeti: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Preeti?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 343 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Preeti 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 999,284 US residents.
Is Preeti a common name?
We classify Preeti as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 360 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Preeti most popular?
The single biggest year for Preeti was 2000, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Preeti is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Preeti a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Preeti 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.