Veda
Veda was the 739th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 370 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 415th; the most babies were born in 2024 (410). Over the last ten years it has moved up 200 places. More babies were named Veda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning knowledge (Sanskrit) · Sanskrit
Say it VAY-duh /ˈveɪdə/
- Rank in 2025
- #739 girls, up 179 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 370girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024410 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,076babies recorded
What does the name Veda mean?
Veda is borrowed from Sanskrit veda, knowledge, the name of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, as Wiktionary notes. The Vedas form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature. Wiktionary also records Veda as an English girls' name, which has been used in the US since 1881. A separate English word veda names a malt loaf bread from Northern Ireland. Wiktionary gives English pronunciations close to VAY-duh.
वेद (Sanskrit, “knowledge”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Vedika, Vida.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names, names that mean wisdom.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Veda' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Veda' (Portuguese section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Veda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2019.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #739 | 370 |
| 2020 | #918 | 283 |
| 2010 | #1,467 | 155 |
| 2000 | #2,541 | 60 |
| 1990 | #5,542 | 17 |
| 1980 | #3,409 | 25 |
| 1970 | #1,856 | 48 |
| 1960 | #945 | 128 |
| 1950 | #908 | 97 |
| 1940 | #794 | 80 |
| 1930 | #617 | 126 |
| 1920 | #498 | 193 |
| 1910 | #511 | 65 |
| 1900 | #474 | 52 |
| 1890 | #506 | 27 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Veda, counting every spelling?
Veda is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #576 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #739 for Veda on its own. Together these spellings went to 524 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veda | 370 | #739 | 1,748 |
| Vayda | 148 | #1,457 | 956 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Veda?
370 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Veda (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Veda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 23 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Veda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Veda?
About 8,500 people born in the US named Veda are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 61. That makes Veda mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Veda by state
How common Veda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (3.2×), Wisconsin (2.8×), Washington (2.0×), Minnesota (2.0×), Michigan (1.9×). In 18 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Veda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Veda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Veda · Sibling names for Veda
Questions about the name Veda
What does Veda mean?
Veda means “knowledge (Sanskrit)” (Sanskrit origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Veda?
Veda was the 739th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 370 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 415th; the most babies were born in 2024 (410). Over the last ten years it has moved up 200 places. More babies were named Veda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Veda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Veda in the US.
Where is Veda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Veda was most common in Iowa (0.69 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wisconsin and Washington.