Girl · #12,180 in 2026

Naja

Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras. Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus Naja.

Current Rank
#12,180
Peak Rank
#1,219 (1998)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1964
First Year
2023
Last Year
1998
Peak Year
#1219
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
52
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Naja

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

Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras. Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus Naja.

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

Etymology
The origin of the generic name , Naja , is from the Sanskrit nāga (with a hard "g") meaning "snake". Some [ who? ] hold that the Sanskrit word is cognate with English "snake", Germanic: *snēk-a- , Proto-IE : *(s)nēg-o- , but Manfred Mayrhofer calls this etymology "not credible", and suggests a more plausible etymology connecting it with Sanskrit nagna , "hairless" or "naked".

The Story of Naja

Naja first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1964, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 150 Najas were born — ranking #1,219 that year. As of 2026, Naja ranks #12,180 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Najas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Naja

Phonetically similar names — useful when Naja 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 Naja

What does the name Naja mean?
Naja is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras. Various species occur throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are often called "cobras", such as the king cobra and the rinkhals, but they are not "true cobras", in that they do not belong to the genus Naja.
How popular is Naja in 2026?
In 2026, Naja ranks #12,180 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Naja most popular?
Naja reached its peak popularity in 1998, ranking #1,219 that year with 150 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Naja most popular?
Naja has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Naja.
Is Naja a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Naja is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Naja?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Naja include Dola, Viona, Evan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Dola
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Viona
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Evan
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Joane
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Dwana
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About the name Naja

Naja is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Naja's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #1,219. Use the chart and map above to compare Naja'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.