Fun Facts About the Name Madhav
- 642 babies named Madhav: U.S. records list 642 babies given the name Madhav from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Madhav Mean?
Madhav is a modern Indian form of the Sanskrit name Mādhava, which means "belonging to or descended from Madhu" and is also commonly glossed as "sweet as honey." It is built from Sanskrit madhu - honey, a sweet drink, or the spring season - plus the possessive ending that in Sanskrit regularly marks descent or connection, as Manu yields Mānava. Because madhu carries several senses, the name is often translated "sweet as honey"; that is a customary interpretation of the same word, not a separate origin. In Hindu tradition Madhu is also the name of an ancestor of the Yadava lineage and of a demon said to have been slain by Vishnu, so Mādhava works both as a patronymic ("of Madhu's line") and as an epithet of Vishnu and Krishna.
Madhav Name History & Origins
Mādhava is an old Sanskrit name and epithet of Vishnu and of Krishna, who is called Madhava as a member of the Yadava line descended from Madhu. The name appears among the thousand names of Vishnu in the Mahabharata tradition, and Arjuna addresses Krishna as Madhava in the Bhagavad Gita; it is also used in later devotional works such as the Bhagavata Purana and Jayadeva's Gita Govinda. In the same Sanskrit vocabulary, mādhava can also mean "of spring" or name the spring month, senses tied to the word madhu rather than to the lineage.
From Sanskrit the name passed into modern Indian languages in regionally distinct shapes: Madhav in Marathi, Hindi, and Kannada, Madhab in Bengali, and Matavan (மாதவன்) in Tamil, where it is a name of Vishnu. It has been borne by documented historical figures, including the Kerala astronomer and mathematician Madhava of Sangamagrama (c. 1340 - 1425), the Assamese Vaishnava saint and reformer Madhavdev (1489 - 1596), and the Maratha statesman Madhavrao Peshwa (1745 - 1772).
How Popular is the Name Madhav?
Madhav 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 #3,390 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 | #3,418 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2024 | #3,422 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2023 | #3,390 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2022 | #3,585 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2021 | #3,618 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #5,378 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #3,685 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #3,756 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2017 | #3,637 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #4,416 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2015 | #3,947 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2014 | #5,179 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #3,921 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #5,174 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #4,449 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2010 | #3,597 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2009 | #3,605 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #4,646 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #5,587 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #4,175 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #5,189 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #6,379 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #4,957 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #5,606 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #6,761 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #11,497 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #6,891 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #8,121 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #6,418 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #7,659 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #8,394 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #8,057 | 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 Madhav Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
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.
✦ Madhav's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Madhav's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.