Vihana
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "heavenly abode" or "celestial vehicle".
Name Census estimates that about 269 living Americans carry the first name Vihana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Vihana today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vihana births was 2024 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vihana. 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
269
~ 1 in 1,274,180 Americans
Peak year
2024
42 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,683
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Vihana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vihana from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 142 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
Vihana 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 Vihana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vihanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Vihana, while Florida, New Jersey, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vihana
The name Vihana is believed to have its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "vihana," which means "motion" or "movement." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of travel, journey, or exploration in its early usage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vihana can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this text, Vihana is mentioned as the name of a powerful warrior who fought alongside the Pandava princes in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
During the medieval period, the name Vihana appears to have been particularly popular among the ruling classes and warrior castes of various Indian kingdoms. One notable figure bearing this name was Vihana Deva, a 12th-century ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty in present-day Telangana, India. He was known for his military conquests and for patronizing the construction of several impressive temples and monuments.
In the realm of Indian literature, a famous bearer of the name Vihana was the 16th-century poet and scholar, Vihana Bhatta. He was a prominent figure in the court of the Vijayanagara Empire and is credited with composing several works in Sanskrit, including commentaries on ancient Hindu texts.
Another historical figure associated with the name Vihana was Vihana Singh, a 17th-century Rajput warrior and military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He is renowned for his bravery and strategic acumen in various campaigns against rebel forces.
During the 19th century, the name Vihana gained some prominence in the realm of Indian classical music. Vihana Patwardhan, born in 1855, was a celebrated vocalist and exponent of the Gwalior gharana, a renowned lineage of Hindustani classical music. His contributions to the preservation and propagation of this musical tradition have been widely recognized.
Despite its ancient roots and historical significance, the name Vihana remains relatively uncommon in modern times, particularly outside of the Indian subcontinent. However, its rich heritage and meaningful associations with motion, exploration, and cultural achievements continue to make it a distinctive and intriguing choice for those seeking a name with a strong cultural heritage.
People
Vihana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vihana 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
Vihana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vihana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 269 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vihana 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 1,274,180 US residents.
Is Vihana a common name?
We classify Vihana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 271 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vihana most popular?
The single biggest year for Vihana was 2024, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vihana is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vihana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vihana 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.