Fun Facts About the Name Devi
- More than 1 thousand babies named Devi: U.S. records list 1,016 babies given the name Devi from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Devi Mean?
Devi means "goddess" and comes from Sanskrit devī, the feminine form of deva, "god" or "divine being." Sanskrit deva is traced to the root div-, "to shine," and further back to a reconstructed Indo-European word for a heavenly or shining power, so the literal sense of the word is something like "the shining one" or "the heavenly one." This is the ordinary Sanskrit noun for a female deity, not a name coined for a person; Hindu texts apply it to many goddesses and, in the goddess-centered tradition known as Shaktism, to the supreme Goddess herself. Because the word entered other South and Southeast Asian languages with Sanskrit religious vocabulary - Bengali Debi, Old Javanese and Balinese devi, and others - the name appears in regions well beyond the Indian subcontinent. The modern given name keeps the noun's meaning rather than adding a separate symbolic one.
Devi Name History & Origins
The word devī is old in Sanskrit and appears in Vedic literature as a respectful term for goddesses. A hymn of the Rigveda (10.125), spoken by the goddess Vāc, is known in later tradition as the Devī Sūkta. The best-known religious text that uses Devi as a title for the supreme Goddess is the Devi Mahatmya (also called the Durga Saptashati), a section of the Markandeya Purana generally dated to the middle of the first millennium CE; it narrates the Goddess's battles against demons and became central to Devi worship. The Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Devi Upanishad are further texts in which the same title is used.
As a personal name, Devi has long been common throughout India, and its use differs by region. In South India it is frequently attached to a woman's given name as an honorific element, so a woman named Kamala may be recorded as Kamala Devi. In Bengal the form Debi serves the same purpose. In parts of North India, especially in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Devi is widely used as a middle name or surname for women, as in the names of the politician and former bandit Phoolan Devi. In everyday Hindi and several related languages, devī is also a polite word for a woman or a respectful way of addressing one, which supports its steady use as a naming element rather than as a single fixed name.
Because Sanskrit-derived vocabulary spread through trade, religion, and literature, Devi also appears as a personal name in Indonesia, particularly in Bali and Java, where Old Javanese texts use devi for goddesses. Tamil-speaking communities in Sri Lanka and elsewhere use it as well. The name is thus a religious term first and a given name second: its history is the history of a Sanskrit word for goddess that many families in different regions eventually adopted for daughters.
How Popular is the Name Devi?
Devi 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 2025. Its best rank was #3,139 in 2025.
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 | #3,139 | 51 | 0.0032% |
| 2024 | #3,227 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 2023 | #3,190 | 51 | 0.0032% |
| 2022 | #3,718 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 2021 | #4,871 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2020 | #4,791 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 2019 | #5,844 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #5,837 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2017 | #6,608 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #7,697 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #6,526 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #8,161 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #7,490 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #6,403 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #4,959 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #6,025 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2009 | #5,259 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #7,848 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #6,392 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #8,370 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #6,911 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #5,253 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2003 | #6,678 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #7,155 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #12,410 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,731 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #10,622 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #4,682 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #6,254 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #7,732 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #8,254 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #8,305 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #7,147 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #10,799 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #9,571 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #6,220 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #12,912 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #8,601 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,531 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #9,867 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #4,682 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #9,438 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,480 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #7,029 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,935 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #8,380 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #4,896 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #7,831 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #6,477 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1976 | #8,417 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #6,659 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #7,945 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #6,843 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #8,593 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,662 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #4,563 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #5,143 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #4,056 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #5,608 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,016 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #3,172 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1964 | #5,609 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,079 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #3,467 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1961 | #4,624 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #4,863 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #5,574 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #6,186 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #4,849 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #5,764 | 5 | 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 Devi Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Devi's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Devi's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.