Fun Facts About the Name Aruna
- 590 babies named Aruna: U.S. records list 590 babies given the name Aruna from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Aruna Mean?
Aruna comes from the Sanskrit word aruṇa (अरुण), which means "reddish-brown," "ruddy," or "tawny." The color sense is the literal one; calling the first light of morning aruṇa, and so using the name to mean "dawn," is a customary extension of that same idea, since the dawn sky is the reddish light that comes before the sun. The word is often compared with other Indo-European words for red, such as Latin ruber and Greek erythros, but the deeper prehistory of the Sanskrit form is not securely established.
Aruna Name History & Origins
The Sanskrit word aruṇa appears in the Rigveda, the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature, where it describes reddish, tawny, and glowing color and is used in connection with dawn and the sun. In the epics and Puranas, Aruna is also a figure in his own right: the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata, born from an egg before his brother Garuda, and the charioteer of Surya, the sun god. The Mahabharata tells that his egg was opened early, so he was born ruddy and incomplete in form - an explanation that ties his name to the red light that runs ahead of the sun. In the Ramayana, Aruna is the father of the vultures Jatayu and Sampati.
As a given name, Aruna is used in India and elsewhere in South Asia, and the word was also borrowed into Southeast Asian languages; in Thai, อรุณ (arun) means "dawn." In modern India the name is given mainly to women, while the shorter Arun is usually a man's name, even though Aruna is male in the classical texts. Documented bearers include the Indian independence activist Aruna Asaf Ali (1909 - 1996) and the social activist Aruna Roy.
How Popular is the Name Aruna?
Aruna has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2018. Its best rank was #2,147 in 2018.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,106 | 52 | 0.0032% |
| 2024 | #2,816 | 59 | 0.0037% |
| 2023 | #3,431 | 46 | 0.0029% |
| 2022 | #3,034 | 54 | 0.0033% |
| 2021 | #3,805 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #3,926 | 36 | 0.0022% |
| 2019 | #2,756 | 61 | 0.0036% |
| 2018 | #2,147 | 88 | 0.0052% |
| 2017 | #7,887 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #13,052 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #13,330 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #15,187 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,518 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #12,414 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,712 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #10,795 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #9,113 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #13,785 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #12,219 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #15,288 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #13,729 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #11,931 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #10,469 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #11,038 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #10,796 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #10,626 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #9,096 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #9,877 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #8,867 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,419 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #7,119 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Aruna Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Aruna's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Aruna's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.