The first name India
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “indus river”, “river”, “india”.
Pronounced /ˈɪndi.ə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
India means “indus river”, “river”, “india” in Latin.
Inherited from Old English India, Indea, from Latin India, from Ancient Greek Ἰνδία (Indía), from Ancient Greek Ἰνδός (Indós, “Indus river”), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿdūš), from Sanskrit सिन्धु (sindhu), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš (“river”). Compare Middle English Inde and Ynde from Old French Ynde (original form started to prevail in the 16th century), Classical Persian هند (hind, “India”), Sanskrit सिन्धु (síndhu, “a river, stream”). Doublet of Indus, Sindhu, Hindu, and Sindh.
More names that mean river, water.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 79 girls were named India, making it the 509th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2011, with 438 births (#130).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare India with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named India at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 118 girls born in the United States were named India, the 1,722nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2001, when 1,049 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named India
10 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- India SummerAmerican pornographic actress, born 1975
- India EisleyAmerican actress, born 1993
- India AllenAmerican model and actress, born 1965
- India de BeaufortBritish actress, born 1987
- India HairFrench actress, born 1987
- India AmarteifioBritish actress, born 2001
- India HicksBritish writer, interior designer and former fashion model, born 1967
- India FowlerActress, born 2003
- India EnnengaAmerican actress, born 1994
- India SardjoeDutch breakdancer, born 2006
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name India mean?
- India means “indus river”, “river”, “india” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name India?
- Inherited from Old English India, Indea, from Latin India, from Ancient Greek Ἰνδία (Indía), from Ancient Greek Ἰνδός (Indós, “Indus river”), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿdūš), from Sanskrit सिन्धु (sindhu), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš (“river”). Compare Middle English Inde and…
- How popular is the name India?
- In 2025, 79 girls born in England and Wales were named India, ranking 509th. Its peak was 2011, with 438 births.
- Is India a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 24,017 US babies named India since 1880 were girls.
- When was India most popular?
- 2001 in the United States, when 1,049 babies were named India, its highest rank at 299th.
- How do you pronounce India?
- India is /ˈɪndi.ə/, 3 syllables.