Narayana

UnisexBoys' nameGirls' name

A particular medicinal powder, through नारायण

Narayana has been given to 22 babies in the U.S. since 1979. It was used fewer than 5 times in 2025, so it doesn't appear in the latest year's list — today it's a genuinely uncommon pick. Its peak year was 1979, with 6 recorded. It's used for both sexes: 77% boys, 23% girls all-time.

Babies named Narayana, 2006

1 in 791,000

Narayana over time, 1880–2025

BoysGirls

Based on births in the U.S. Babies given the name each year. Hover the chart — or focus it and use the arrow keys — for any year. Gaps mean the name was given fewer than 5 times that year; these counts are unpublished.

Girls or boys — Narayana over time

In 2006, Narayana went to 0% girls and 100% boys.

19792006

A sex is only published in years it reached five applications, so a stretch at 0% or 100% means the other side stayed under that floor — not that it was never used.

Narayana: meaning, origin, and history

A particular medicinal powder, through नारायण

Sanskrit

What Narayana means

Narayana belongs to the name family reached through Narayana → नारायण. Its meaning is “a particular medicinal powder”.

Dictionary etymologyReferences, data & attribution

Borrowed from Sanskrit नारायण (nārāyaṇá). Doublet of Narayan.

Excerpt from Wiktionary: Narayana (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Wiktionary material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Origin, language, and formation

Narayana is used in English. Its origins include Sanskrit.

Narayana comes through Sanskrit नारायण.

Related names and everyday forms

Related names include Narayan and नारायण.

American usage and historical context

In the United States, 17 boys were recorded with the name Narayana between 1979 and 2006. Its highest annual count was 6 in 1979; its best national rank was #5,826 in 1979.

In the United States, 5 girls were recorded with the name Narayana between 2002 and 2002. Its highest annual count was 5 in 2002; its best national rank was #17,318 in 2002.

How common is Narayana?

Narayana had fewer than 5 recorded uses in 2025, so these figures use 2006, the last year it was published.

Among all babies, 2006: 1 in 791,000; 5 of 3,956,166 births
Among boys only: 1 in 411,000; <0.01% of boys
Rank, 2006: Unranked; Fewer than 5 uses
Coin-flip room size: 548,442 kids; Even odds of a second one

Where Narayana sits on the popularity scale

Rarest published (5 a year)#1 — Liam (20,818)

Chance at least one other child shares the name

If the other children were drawn at random from the 2006 national name distribution. Real classrooms cluster by region and community, so treat these as a floor, not a ceiling.

Class of 20Under 1%

Class of 30Under 1%

Grade of 100Under 1%

School of 500Under 1%

Put another way: gather 548,442 children born in 2006 and it's an even bet that one of them is another Narayana. In a class of 30 the chance is Under 1%.

When Narayanas were born

Half of everyone ever recorded as Narayana was born before 1985 — so the typical Narayana is around 40 today.

Median birth year: 1985; About 40 years old
Biggest decade: 1970s; 35.3% of all use
Born in the last 25 years: 64.7%; A modern name
Recorded since 1950: 17; People you could plausibly meet

Choose a decade

1970s — 35.3% of all recorded uses (6).

Is Narayana rising or falling?

Rank movement and count movement can disagree — the number of distinct names in use keeps growing, so a name holding a steady count still slides down the list. Both are shown.

Rank vs 1 year ago: —; Not ranked then
Rank vs 5 years ago: New entry; Not ranked then
Rank vs 10 years ago: —; Not ranked then
Births vs 10 years ago: —; Not published both years
Share of its own peak: 0%; Peak was 1979 (6)
Years since peak: 46; Years
Year-to-year steadiness: Not enough data; Too few years
Best rank ever: #5,826; 1979

Narayana around the world

Where Narayana ranks in official birth records elsewhere in the world. Rankings only — the number of births isn’t comparable between places, so it isn’t shown.

South Australia
1983–1983
#443
in 1983

Popularity data from Consumer and Business Services (South Australia). CBS SA data under CC BY 4.0.

Narayana by the numbers

The raw record for each sex the name is used for.

As a boy's name

Rank in 2025: Unranked
Trend vs 5 yrs ago: —
Best rank ever: #5,826; 1979
Peak year: 1979; 6 that year
First recorded: 1979
Last recorded: 2006
All-time count: 17
Count in 2025: Under 5

As a girl's name

Rank in 2025: Unranked
Trend vs 5 yrs ago: —
Best rank ever: #17,318; 2002
Peak year: 2002; 5 that year
First recorded: 2002
Last recorded: 2002
All-time count: 5
Count in 2025: Under 5

Names similar to Narayana

Matched on shared beginnings and endings, similar length, and comparable popularity.

Narcisse Narvell Narendra Narcisco Narquise Ionatana Kamakana Ansumana Naruto Narith Narain Narsiso Narcizo Naryan Kitwana Sophana Lansana Viviana Nirvana Eliana Narmon Narong Lassana Tatiana

Sibling names for Narayana

Names from the same era and popularity tier — the two things that make a sibling set feel deliberate — skipping lookalike spellings and shared initials.

For a sister

Bambi Shanika Mellissa Latosha Adria Lani Malissa Lindy

For a brother

Delvin Leopoldo Jerod Cedrick Reggie Torrey Jed Wilfredo

Explore around Narayana

Top names of 1979, Narayana's peak year The 1970s in full Other names that peaked in 1979 Boys' names starting with N