Fun Facts About the Name Inari
- 587 babies named Inari: U.S. records list 587 babies given the name Inari from 1880 through 2025. Even 30 boys received the name Inari - about 1 boy for every 19 girls.
What Does the Name Inari Mean?
Inari belongs to two unrelated naming traditions. In Japanese it is the name of Inari, the kami of rice and agriculture, and it is commonly explained as ine (稲), "rice plant," plus nari, "to become," giving the sense of rice ripening or "rice becoming." The usual written form, 稲荷, joins the characters for "rice plant" and "load, carry," and since the second character is not read ri in ordinary Chinese-derived readings, that spelling looks like a later way of writing a name that already existed. The rice-based explanation is the standard one, but it is not fully certain and rests partly on traditional interpretation.
The Finnish name Inari is feminine and is taken from the place name Inari in northern Lapland, the name of both the municipality and Lake Inari. That place name reflects the Sámi name for the area - North Sámi Anár, Inari Sámi Aanaar - whose own origin is not securely known, so the Finnish given name carries no separate meaning in Finnish beyond its reference to the place.
Inari Name History & Origins
Inari the deity is attested in Japanese religion from the Heian period and is especially associated with Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, which tradition dates to 711. Worship of Inari spread through Japan as a cult of rice and harvest, and later of prosperity and business, with foxes (kitsune) regarded as the deity's messengers. In Japan the word functions mainly as the deity's name and in the names of the shrines, temples, and places dedicated to or named for it, such as Fushimi Inari and Inari-yama, rather than as a common personal given name.
The Finnish given name Inari was adopted from the Lapland place name and is used as a woman's name in Finland. The region's name itself comes from Sámi, and the Inari Sámi language is named after the same area. Apart from this borrowing from the place name, the Finnish name has no long documented history of its own.
How Popular is the Name Inari?
Inari 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 2023. Its best rank was #3,027 in 2023.
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 | #4,805 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2024 | #4,224 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2023 | #3,027 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2022 | #3,290 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 2021 | #3,762 | 40 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #5,221 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2019 | #6,529 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #6,356 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2017 | #8,017 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #5,693 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2015 | #9,162 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #9,189 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #9,839 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #9,972 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #7,568 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #6,744 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #7,469 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #5,624 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2007 | #7,516 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #6,686 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #6,949 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #8,430 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #8,176 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #9,770 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #11,398 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #13,808 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #4,734 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #12,352 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,075 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #12,971 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #12,946 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #9,157 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #12,873 | 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 Inari Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Inari's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Inari's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.