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Name Lineage

    The first name Narayan

    A boy’s name from Sanskrit.

    3 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Sanskrit origin

    Borrowed from Hindi नारायण (nārāyaṇ), from Sanskrit नारायण (nārāyaṇá). Doublet of Narayana.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 10 boys were named Narayan, making it the 2,269th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2014, with 14 births (#1,630).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    179
    babies named Narayan, 1996–2025
    #2,269
    rank in 2025
    2014
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Narayan with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Narayan at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2022, 7 boys born in the United States were named Narayan, the 10,526th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2014, when 21 were.

    01530 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    273
    babies named Narayan since 1880
    #10,526
    rank in 2022
    2014
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    • Narayana

    Famous people named Narayan

    3 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Narayan Das
      Footballer, born 1993
    • S. N. Goenka
      Burmese teacher of vipassanā meditation (1924–2013)
    • Didi Contractor
      German-American architect, 1929–2021

    More Sanskrit boys’ names

    All 288 names of Sanskrit origin

    Questions

    What does the name Narayan mean?
    Borrowed from Hindi नारायण (nārāyaṇ), from Sanskrit नारायण (nārāyaṇá). Doublet of Narayana.
    What is the origin of the name Narayan?
    Borrowed from Hindi नारायण (nārāyaṇ), from Sanskrit नारायण (nārāyaṇá). Doublet of Narayana.
    How popular is the name Narayan?
    In 2025, 10 boys born in England and Wales were named Narayan, ranking 2,269th. Its peak was 2014, with 14 births.
    Is Narayan a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 273 US babies named Narayan since 1880 were boys.
    When was Narayan most popular?
    2014 in the United States, when 21 babies were named Narayan, its highest rank at 4,651st.
    What are other spellings of Narayan?
    Narayana.
    Is Narayan also a surname?
    Yes. Narayan is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.