Indiana
Indiana is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states.
Meaning & Origin of Indiana
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Indiana is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
Origin & history
The Story of Indiana
As a girl name
Indiana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 112 Indianas were born — ranking #1,800 that year. As of 2026, Indiana ranks #2,194 for girls with 86 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 2K Indianas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Indiana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1990, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 84 Indianas were born — ranking #1,815 that year. As of 2026, Indiana ranks #2,212 for boys with 66 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 2K Indianas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Indiana
Phonetically similar names — useful when Indiana 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 Indiana
What does the name Indiana mean?
How popular is Indiana in 2026?
When was Indiana most popular?
In which U.S. states is Indiana most popular?
Is Indiana a unisex name?
What names go well with Indiana?
About the name Indiana
Indiana is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Indiana's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #580. Use the chart and map above to compare Indiana's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "I" →
- 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.