Fun Facts About the Name Atharva
- More than 1 thousand babies named Atharva: U.S. records list 1,094 babies given the name Atharva from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Atharva Mean?
Atharva is a masculine name from Sanskrit, formed from the word atharvan, the name of the ancient priest-sage to whom the Atharvaveda, the fourth Veda, is traditionally credited. The word belongs to the Indo-Iranian layer of the language: its Avestan counterpart āthravan means "priest" and names the Zoroastrian fire-priest, so the shared root sense is a priest who tends the ritual fire. Later and popular explanations that gloss the name as "knowledge" or "the first Veda" are symbolic readings built on the sage's status, not the literal meaning of the word.
Atharva Name History & Origins
In the Rigveda, Atharvan is a priestly figure associated with the kindling of the sacred fire, Agni. Later tradition presents him as a sage and pairs him with Angiras; the hymns of the fourth Veda are ascribed to the two of them together, which is why that text is also called the Atharvāṅgirasa. The Atharvaveda itself is a collection of hymns, charms, and spells, and it was counted among the four Vedas later than the other three.
As a given name, Atharva is a modern Indian masculine name, used mainly in Maharashtra and among speakers of Marathi, and it also appears in other parts of India. It is formed directly from the sage's name rather than from a shortened or altered older personal name.
How Popular is the Name Atharva?
Atharva 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 2020. Its best rank was #1,939 in 2020.
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 | #2,057 | 72 | 0.0042% |
| 2024 | #2,185 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 2023 | #2,387 | 57 | 0.0033% |
| 2022 | #2,150 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2021 | #2,413 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2020 | #1,939 | 75 | 0.0043% |
| 2019 | #2,266 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2018 | #2,802 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2017 | #2,638 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2016 | #2,838 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2015 | #2,649 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 2014 | #2,935 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2013 | #2,809 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2012 | #2,679 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2011 | #2,703 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2010 | #2,875 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2009 | #2,901 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #2,791 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 2007 | #3,516 | 30 | 0.0014% |
| 2006 | #4,526 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #3,625 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2004 | #3,868 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #5,291 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #4,197 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2001 | #4,314 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #6,360 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #7,937 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Atharva 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.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Atharva's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Atharva's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.