Ananda
Ānanda was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples. Among the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda stood out for having the best memory. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist Sutta-Piṭaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council.
- Sanskrit
- Buddhism
- Tamil
- Bengali
Meaning & Origin of Ananda
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ānanda was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples. Among the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda stood out for having the best memory. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist Sutta-Piṭaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Sanskrit
- Buddhism
- Tamil
- Bengali
The Story of Ananda
As a girl name
American parents first put Ananda on the record books as a girl name in 1968, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 128 Anandas were born — ranking #1,483 that year. About 43% of every Ananda on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Ananda last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Ananda as a boy name dates back to 1972, when 7 babies received it. 2015 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Ananda — #7,491 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Ananda on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Ananda last appeared in the published SSA data in 2020, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 111 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Ananda
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ananda. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Ananda
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ananda is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ananda
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About the name Ananda
Ananda is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1968 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ananda's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #1,483. Use the chart and map above to compare Ananda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.