Boy · #12,141 in 2026

Bodhisattva

Name: Popularity of the name Bodhisattva in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Bodhisattva, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, bodhi or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or bodhi in order to compassionately help other individuals reach Buddhahood.

Current Rank

#12,141

Peak Rank

#12,243 (2017)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

2017

First Year

2021

Last Year

2017

Peak Year

#12243

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bodhisattva

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

Bodhisattva is a combination of two Sanskrit words: Bodhi (बोधि), meaning "awakening" or "enlightenment" and Sattva (सत्त्व), meaning "being", as pertaining to a person who has achieved, or is striving towards, bodhi ('awakening' or 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood . The etymology of the Indic terms bodhisattva and bodhisatta is not fully understood. The term bodhi is uncontroversial and means "awakening" or "enlightenment" (from the root budh- ). The second part of the compound has many possible meanings or derivations, including: Sattva and satta commonly means "living being", "sentient being"

The Story of Bodhisattva

The earliest SSA record of Bodhisattva as a baby boy name dates back to 2017, when 5 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Bodhisattva — #12,243 in the national rankings. About 67% of every Bodhisattva on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Bodhisattva last appeared in the published SSA data in 2021, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 15 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2010s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Bodhisattva

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bodhisattva is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Boddhisatva
Bodhisattvas
Boadicea
Batiste
Podesta
Bautista
Bedsit

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bodhisattva

What does the name Bodhisattva mean?

How popular is Bodhisattva in 2026?

In 2026, Bodhisattva ranks #12,141 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Bodhisattva most popular?

Bodhisattva reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #12,243 that year with 5 babies given the name.

Is Bodhisattva a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Bodhisattva is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Bodhisattva?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bodhisattva include Aary, Aayon, Abdelkader. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2017 and has accumulated 15 births in the dataset. Bodhisattva's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #12,243. Use the chart and map above to compare Bodhisattva's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.