Veena
A feminine Indian name meaning "lute", an ancient stringed instrument.
Name Census estimates that about 590 living Americans carry the first name Veena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Veena today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Veena births was 2003 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Veena. 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
590
~ 1 in 580,940 Americans
Peak year
2003
17 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,887
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Veena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Veena from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 115 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Veena remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Veena 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 Veena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Veenas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Veena
The name Veena has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the lingua franca of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'veena', which refers to a traditional Indian plucked string instrument. The veena has been an integral part of Indian classical music for centuries and is often associated with the arts, culture, and spiritual traditions of the region.
In Hindu mythology, the veena holds a significant place. It is considered the instrument of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts, and learning. The name Veena is often associated with creativity, artistic expression, and intellectual pursuits. Additionally, it is believed that the name carries a sense of melody and harmony, reflecting the soothing sounds produced by the veena instrument.
The earliest recorded references to the name Veena can be found in ancient Indian literature, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads. These sacred texts, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, mention the veena as a symbol of divine harmony and spiritual enlightenment. The name also appears in various Hindu scriptures and epics, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Veena. One of the earliest recorded figures was Veena Dhanammal (c. 1768–1830), a renowned Carnatic music composer and veena player from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She was a pioneering female artist in a male-dominated field and is credited with composing numerous intricate and melodious compositions for the veena.
Another famous Veena was Veena Sahasrabuddhe (1948–2016), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was a leading exponent of the Bharatanatyam dance form and known for her graceful movements and innovative choreography. Sahasrabuddhe received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri award from the Government of India.
In the realm of Indian cinema, Veena Malik (born 1984) is a Pakistani actress and model who gained popularity for her roles in various Bollywood and Lollywood films. She has also been a contestant on several reality shows and has been involved in various controversies throughout her career.
Veena Arora (born 1969) is an Indian social activist and former bureaucrat. She is known for her work in promoting women's empowerment and child rights in India. Arora has been recognized with several awards, including the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India's highest civilian honor for women.
Veena Naravane (1942–2021) was an eminent Indian Hindustani classical vocalist and teacher. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1996 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009, two of India's highest civilian honors in the field of performing arts. Naravane was widely respected for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of Indian classical music.
People
Veena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Veena 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
Veena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Veena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 590 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Veena 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 580,940 US residents.
Is Veena a common name?
We classify Veena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 618 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Veena most popular?
The single biggest year for Veena was 2003, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Veena is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Veena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Veena 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.