Narayana
Narayana is an Indian name. It is identical in form to the name of the deity Narayana, another name for Vishnu. The name Narayana is predominantly used in South India especially among Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu speakers.
Meaning & Origin of Narayana
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Narayana is an Indian name. It is identical in form to the name of the deity Narayana, another name for Vishnu. The name Narayana is predominantly used in South India especially among Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu speakers.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Narayana
As a girl name
Narayana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2002, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 5 Narayanas were born — ranking #15,431 that year. As of 2026, Narayana ranks #15,431 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Narayanas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Narayana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1979, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 6 Narayanas were born — ranking #5,355 that year. As of 2026, Narayana ranks #12,053 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 17 Narayanas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Narayana
Phonetically similar names — useful when Narayana 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 Narayana
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About the name Narayana
Narayana is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 17 births in the dataset. Narayana's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #5,355. Use the chart and map above to compare Narayana's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1979 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "N" →
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- 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.