Fun Facts About the Name Udana
- 30 babies named Udana: U.S. records list 30 babies given the name Udana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Udana Mean?
Udana comes from the Pali and Sanskrit word udāna, usually translated as "inspired utterance." The word is formed from the prefix ud- ("up, out") and a form of the root an- ("to breathe"), so its oldest literal sense is a breath that rises or is breathed out - an out-breath rather than a word.
Classical Indian medicine and yoga count udāna as one of the five vital breaths, the one said to move upward and to govern the throat and speech. Buddhist Pali literature uses the same word for a heartfelt verse or exclamation, and it also names one of the recognized categories of the Buddha's teaching, alongside categories such as sutta and gāthā. As a personal name, Udana is understood in this Buddhist sense of a spoken outpouring rather than in the medical sense of a breath.
Udana is a South Asian given name, found in India and especially in Sri Lanka, where personal names are often taken from Pali Buddhist vocabulary. It is not related to the similar-sounding Indian name Udayan, which comes from a different word, Sanskrit udaya, "rise, sunrise."
Udana Name History & Origins
The word is best known today from the title of a Pali scripture. The Udāna is the third book of the Khuddaka Nikāya in the Pali Canon: a collection of eighty short discourses, each closing with a verse or exclamation - the udāna - spoken by the Buddha. The opening discourse is set just after the Buddha's awakening, and the eighth and final chapter contains the much-quoted passage on the unborn and unconditioned (nibbāna). The scripture's title is the ordinary noun, not a personal name; the book did not create the word, and the word did not originate with the book.
Theravada commentaries describe an udāna as an utterance called forth by strong feeling, typically joy or awe, and it is this religious sense that carried over into personal naming. Sinhalese names are frequently drawn from Pali words of exactly this kind, and Udana follows that pattern; the name also appears in India. The spelling with a long ā, Udāna, reflects the Pali and Sanskrit form, while the name is normally written simply as Udana in English.
How Popular is the Name Udana?
Udana 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 1975. Its best rank was #3,767 in 1975.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | #8,126 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #3,767 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1973 | #9,733 | 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 Udana Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have talent, charm and luck. You can succeed in art and in any educational occupation. You attract peculiar experiences. Your power and protection lies in spiritual side of life. You are an enthusiastic collector and you will be tenacious in holding onto the things you accumulate. You have a good memory and should make an effort to have a positive attitude. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of 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.
✦ Udana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Udana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.