Girl · #16,416 in 2026

Yashoda

Yashoda is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born to Devaki, but Krishna's father, Vasudeva, brought the newborn Krishna to his cousin Nanda, and his wife, Yashoda, in Gokulam.

  • Hinduism
  • Hindi
  • Marathi
  • Telugu
Current Rank
#16,416
Peak Rank
#16,416 (2015)
Total Babies
5
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2015
First Year
2015
Last Year
2015
Peak Year
#16416
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Yashoda

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

Yashoda is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born to Devaki, but Krishna's father, Vasudeva, brought the newborn Krishna to his cousin Nanda, and his wife, Yashoda, in Gokulam.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Hinduism
  • Hindi
  • Marathi
  • Telugu
Etymology
The name Yashoda means 'one who is giver (da, दा ) of fame or glory (Yash, यश )'. Yashoda and Krishna, inspired from Kalighat Painting.
Origin & history
According to the Bhagavata Purana , Yashoda was the incarnation of the wife of the Vasu , Drona. Little is known about Yashoda's early life, other than her marriage to Nanda . Kamsa , the ruler of Mathura , had decided to kill Krishna as soon as he was born. In order to protect Krishna from Kamsa , Krishna and Yogamaya were born at the same time from the wombs of Devaki and Yashoda, respectively, and were exchanged by Vasudeva Anakadundubhi. Krishna survived and was raised as the foster-son of Yashoda. Various childhood episodes or lilas , growing up in Yashoda's household, abound in Hindu tex

The Story of Yashoda

Yashoda first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2015, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 5 Yashodas were born — ranking #16,416 that year. As of 2026, Yashoda ranks #16,416 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Yashodas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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No data

Names that sound like Yashoda

Phonetically similar names — useful when Yashoda 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 Yashoda

What does the name Yashoda mean?
Yashoda is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was born to Devaki, but Krishna's father, Vasudeva, brought the newborn Krishna to his cousin Nanda, and his wife, Yashoda, in Gokulam.
What is the origin of the name Yashoda?
Yashoda has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Hinduism, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu.
How popular is Yashoda in 2026?
In 2026, Yashoda ranks #16,416 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Yashoda most popular?
Yashoda reached its peak popularity in 2015, ranking #16,416 that year with 5 babies given the name.
Is Yashoda a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Yashoda is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Yashoda?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Yashoda include Aaleena, Aalena, Aalieyah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Aaleena
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Aalena
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Aalieyah
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Aalisa
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Aalyna
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Aarilynn
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Abidah
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About the name Yashoda

Yashoda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2015 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Yashoda's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #16,416. Use the chart and map above to compare Yashoda'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.