Fun Facts About the Name Ravi
- More than 3 thousand babies named Ravi: U.S. records list 3,609 babies given the name Ravi from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 girls received the name Ravi - about 1 girl for every 721 boys.
What Does the Name Ravi Mean?
Ravi (रवि) is a Sanskrit word meaning "sun." In Sanskrit it names the sun itself and is also used as an epithet of the sun god, who is more commonly called Surya. The word's deeper derivation is not settled: some traditional grammarians connect it with a root associated with shining or with giving, while others link it to a verbal root meaning "to roar" or "to cry out," so the ultimate origin remains uncertain.
Because ravi- also serves as the first element in compound names such as Ravindra (often glossed as "lord of the sun," with Indra) and Ravishankar, the standalone name Ravi is often understood both as an independent word and as a short form of those longer compounds.
Ravi Name History & Origins
Ravi is attested in Sanskrit as a common noun and as a name for the sun, appearing in Vedic and later classical literature. In Hindu practice the sun is honored in daily rites, and the day of the week associated with the sun is called Ravivara ("sun's day"), a term that survives in many modern Indian languages as the word for Sunday.
As a personal name, Ravi has been used for centuries across the Indian subcontinent and is common in several language communities, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. It is also used as a short form of longer names built on the same element, such as Ravindra and Ravishankar; the Bengali form Rabindra, as in the name of writer Rabindranath Tagore, is a closely related variant. The name traveled with Indian communities abroad and is now found in the United States, Britain, and other countries with South Asian diaspora populations.
How Popular is the Name Ravi?
Ravi 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 2024. Its best rank was #1,047 in 1985.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | #7,891 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,249 | 160 | 0.0094% |
| 2024 | #1,216 | 166 | 0.0097% |
| 2023 | #1,437 | 127 | 0.0074% |
| 2022 | #1,519 | 119 | 0.0068% |
| 2021 | #1,737 | 94 | 0.0054% |
| 2020 | #1,990 | 72 | 0.0042% |
| 2019 | #2,385 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 2018 | #2,607 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2017 | #2,786 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 2016 | #2,542 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2015 | #2,635 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2014 | #2,248 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 2013 | #2,390 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2012 | #2,706 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 2011 | #2,431 | 52 | 0.0027% |
| 2010 | #2,999 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2009 | #2,510 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2008 | #2,371 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 2007 | #2,857 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #1,988 | 68 | 0.0033% |
| 2005 | #2,076 | 60 | 0.0030% |
| 2004 | #2,096 | 57 | 0.0029% |
| 2003 | #2,197 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 2002 | #2,084 | 52 | 0.0027% |
| 2001 | #2,177 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2000 | #1,844 | 58 | 0.0030% |
| 1999 | #1,621 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 1998 | #1,582 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 1997 | #1,565 | 66 | 0.0035% |
| 1996 | #1,418 | 74 | 0.0039% |
| 1995 | #1,882 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 1994 | #1,638 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 1993 | #1,535 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 1992 | #1,467 | 63 | 0.0032% |
| 1991 | #1,496 | 59 | 0.0029% |
| 1990 | #1,164 | 88 | 0.0043% |
| 1989 | #1,181 | 82 | 0.0041% |
| 1988 | #1,172 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 1987 | #1,060 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 1986 | #1,049 | 80 | 0.0043% |
| 1985 | #1,047 | 78 | 0.0042% |
| 1984 | #1,083 | 69 | 0.0038% |
| 1983 | #1,510 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1982 | #1,189 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 1981 | #1,448 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1980 | #1,174 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 1979 | #1,301 | 51 | 0.0030% |
| 1978 | #1,320 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 1977 | #1,538 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 1976 | #1,207 | 52 | 0.0033% |
| 1975 | #1,253 | 47 | 0.0030% |
| 1974 | #1,495 | 35 | 0.0022% |
| 1973 | #1,394 | 37 | 0.0024% |
| 1972 | #1,632 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 1971 | #1,659 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1970 | #1,515 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1969 | #1,631 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1968 | #1,385 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1967 | #1,701 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1966 | #2,930 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #3,838 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #2,627 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #3,576 | 7 | 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 Ravi Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Ravi's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ravi's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.