Vanda
Of Scandinavian origin, meaning "wanderer" or "one who travels far".
Name Census estimates that about 872 living Americans carry the first name Vanda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vanda today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vanda births was 1960 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vanda. 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
872
~ 1 in 393,067 Americans
Peak year
1960
45 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2002 SSA rank
#17,965
Tracked since 1893
Popularity
Vanda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vanda from the 1890s through to the 2000s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 338 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vanda 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 Vanda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vandas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Kentucky, Texas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Vanda, while New York, Indiana, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vanda
The name Vanda is of Sanskrit origin, derived from the word "vanda," which means "to praise" or "to honor." It is believed to have originated in ancient India, where it was used as a feminine name.
In Hindu mythology, Vanda is associated with the goddess Durga, who is revered as the embodiment of divine strength and protection. The name is mentioned in various ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Puranas and the Vedas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vanda can be found in the epic poem Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a princess. Additionally, there are references to women named Vanda in ancient Indian inscriptions and historical records dating back to the 3rd century BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vanda. One such figure is Vanda Gerty Samakya (1888-1968), an Indonesian painter and artist who is renowned for her vibrant depictions of Balinese culture and landscapes. Another prominent Vanda was Vanda Scaravelli (1908-1999), an Italian yoga teacher and author who developed her own method of practicing yoga based on gravity and releasing tension.
In the field of botany, the name Vanda is associated with a genus of orchids native to Southeast Asia and the East Indies. The Vanda orchid was named by William Roxburgh in 1819, likely inspired by the Sanskrit word "vanda" meaning "to praise," as these flowers were highly valued for their beauty and fragrance.
Vanda Aleksandra Obradović (1892-1975) was a Serbian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of electromagnetism. She was the first female professor at the University of Belgrade and played a crucial role in advancing women's education in Serbia.
Vanda Polakova (1886-1962) was a Czech painter and illustrator known for her Art Nouveau style and her illustrations for children's books. Her vibrant and whimsical artwork captured the imagination of generations of young readers.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Vanda, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and diverse applications across various fields.
People
Vanda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vanda 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
Vanda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vanda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 872 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vanda 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 393,067 US residents.
Is Vanda a common name?
We classify Vanda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,683 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vanda most popular?
The single biggest year for Vanda was 1960, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vanda is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vanda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vanda 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.