Vaishnav
A Hindu name meaning devotee or worshipper of Lord Vishnu.
Name Census estimates that about 83 living Americans carry the first name Vaishnav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vaishnav today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vaishnav births was 2017 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vaishnav. 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 Vaishnav. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
83
~ 1 in 4,129,570 Americans
Peak year
2017
11 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,721
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Vaishnav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vaishnav from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 59 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Vaishnav remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vaishnav 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 Vaishnav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vaishnavs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Vaishnav
The name Vaishnav has its origins in the Sanskrit language and is derived from the word "Vishnu," which refers to the Hindu god who is the preserver and protector of the universe. The name is closely associated with the Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism, which venerates Vishnu as the supreme deity.
Vaishnav is a title bestowed upon devotees of Vishnu, indicating their unwavering devotion and dedication to the worship of this divine figure. The name carries significant religious and spiritual connotations, reflecting the individual's commitment to the Vaishnava principles and practices.
The earliest references to the name Vaishnav can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, which detail the teachings and philosophies surrounding Lord Vishnu and his various incarnations. These sacred texts have played a pivotal role in shaping the religious and cultural landscape of the Indian subcontinent for centuries.
One of the most notable historical figures associated with the name Vaishnav is the revered philosopher and saint, Ramanuja (1017-1137 CE). He was a prominent figure in the Vaishnava tradition and is credited with reviving and propagating the teachings of Vishnu devotion during the 11th and 12th centuries in South India.
Another renowned Vaishnav was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533 CE), a spiritual leader and proponent of the Bhakti movement in Bengal. He is revered as an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Krishna and played a significant role in spreading the teachings of Vaishnavism throughout the region.
The name Vaishnav has also been associated with several notable poets and writers throughout history. One such figure is Surdas (1478-1584 CE), a blind poet and devotee of Lord Krishna, whose compositions have had a profound impact on the Vaishnava literary tradition.
Mirabai (1498-1546 CE), a Rajput princess and renowned devotional poet, is another prominent figure who embraced the Vaishnava faith and dedicated her life to the worship of Lord Krishna. Her poetic works continue to inspire and influence Vaishnava devotees to this day.
Tulsidas (1532-1623 CE), the author of the famous Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas, was also a devout Vaishnav. His literary masterpiece, which narrates the life and deeds of Lord Rama, has had a lasting impact on the Vaishnava tradition and is widely revered in North India.
The name Vaishnav has a rich historical legacy, deeply rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. It symbolizes the profound devotion and reverence for Lord Vishnu and the Vaishnava principles, which have shaped the spiritual landscape of the region for centuries.
People
Vaishnav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vaishnav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vaishnav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vaishnav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 83 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vaishnav 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 4,129,570 US residents.
Is Vaishnav a common name?
We classify Vaishnav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 84 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vaishnav most popular?
The single biggest year for Vaishnav was 2017, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vaishnav is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vaishnav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vaishnav in the SSA data are male. 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.