Vihan
An Indian masculine name meaning 'dawn' or 'morning' in Sanskrit.
Name Census estimates that about 529 living Americans carry the first name Vihan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vihan today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vihan births was 2013 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vihan. 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
529
~ 1 in 647,929 Americans
Peak year
2013
51 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,029
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Vihan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vihan 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 337 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Vihan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vihan 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 Vihan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vihans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Vihan, while Washington, Virginia, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vihan
The name Vihan has its roots in the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is believed to have emerged as a name during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "vihāna," which translates to "bird" or "winged creature."
In Hindu mythology, birds often symbolized freedom, grace, and the ability to soar above earthly constraints. As such, the name Vihan may have been bestowed upon individuals with the hope that they would embody these qualities or as a way to honor the beauty and majesty of birds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vihan can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Sanskrit epic dating back to around the 8th century BCE. The epic mentions a character named Vihan, who was a warrior and a skilled archer. However, details about this individual are scarce, and it is uncertain whether the name was common during that era.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Vihan. One such person was Vihan Shuklaji (1250 CE - 1320 CE), a renowned Indian philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Advaita Vedanta, a branch of Hindu philosophy that emphasizes non-dualism and the unity of the individual self with the ultimate reality.
Another notable Vihan was Vihan Shastri (1650 CE - 1720 CE), a Sanskrit grammarian and linguist who authored several influential works on the Sanskrit language and its grammatical rules. His work helped to preserve and propagate the study of Sanskrit during a time when the language was in decline.
In the 18th century, Vihan Singh (1710 CE - 1785 CE) was a prominent ruler of the Maratha Empire in India. He was known for his military prowess and played a significant role in expanding the empire's territories during his reign.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Vihan Chandra Ghosh (1909 CE - 1998 CE) was a renowned Indian scientist and entrepreneur. He is credited with developing the world's first affordable and commercially viable oral rehydration solution, which has saved millions of lives by preventing and treating dehydration caused by diarrheal diseases.
Lastly, Vihan Bhatnagar (1942 CE - present) is a celebrated Indian classical vocalist and composer. He has made significant contributions to the Khayal style of Hindustani classical music and has received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors.
People
Vihan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vihan 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
Vihan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vihan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 529 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vihan 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 647,929 US residents.
Is Vihan a common name?
We classify Vihan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 533 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vihan most popular?
The single biggest year for Vihan was 2013, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vihan is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vihan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vihan 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.