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Narayan
How to Pronounce Narayan
Pronounced nuh-RAH-yuhn /nəˈrɑː.jən/Medium
Meaning: Narayan is a Sanskrit name of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, traditionally understood as 'the one moving on the waters' or 'the refuge and abode of all beings.' It is a revered given name across India, carried with deep religious meaning.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Narayan is a Sanskrit name of Vishnu, a central deity in Hinduism, understood as 'the one moving upon the waters' and 'the refuge of all beings.' Long borne with reverence across India, it traveled to the United States with Indian families and appears on American birth records from the early nineteen-seventies. It is carried respectfully as both a devotional and a family name.
In the United States it stayed rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year even at its high in the mid-twenty-tens, so a boy named Narayan then would be a child or young teenager today. It reads as a heritage name held by Indian families rather than a mainstream trend.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★R. K. Narayan (1906-2001)celebrated Indian novelist who wrote in English; his surname is the same name
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Narayan mean?
It is a Sanskrit name of the god Vishnu, understood as 'the one moving on the waters' or 'refuge of all beings.'
How do you pronounce Narayan?
It's said nuh-RAH-yuhn /nəˈrɑː.jən/, three syllables with the stress in the middle.
Is Narayan a boy or girl name?
Narayan is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Narayan?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its peak in the mid-twenty-tens.