Ravi

♂ Boy

Pronounced RAH-vee /ˈrɑː.vi/High

Meaning: Sun; the sun god; from Sanskrit ravi (sun, another name for the sun deity Surya)High

In 30 seconds: A Sanskrit name simply meaning 'sun,' one of the names for the Hindu sun deity Surya. Associated with sitarist Ravi Shankar — whose collaborations with George Harrison brought Indian classical music to Western ears.

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Origin HighSanskrit

MeaningSun; the sun god; from Sanskrit ravi (sun, another name for the sun deity Surya)

U.S. rank (2024)#1216 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births166 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,444

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Ravi is Sanskrit for the sun (ravi: sun, solar). It is one of the epithets of Surya, the Hindu sun god. As a given name it has been used in Hindu communities for centuries across South Asia.

Ravi ranked #1216 for boys in 2024.

Did you know? Ravi Shankar (1920–2012) taught George Harrison to play the sitar, sparking the Beatles' Indian music phase that produced Norwegian Wood (1965) and Love You To (1966) — and inaugurating a decades-long cultural exchange between Indian classical and Western popular music.

Overall data confidence 96%

Behind the Name — Ravi — Sanskrit etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

RabiRavinder

Nicknames

Rav

Famous Bearers

★Ravi Shankar (1920–2012)
Indian sitarist who helped introduce Indian classical music to Western audiences, notably through his association with the Beatles' George Harrison.

If you like Ravi…

Surya— the primary Sanskrit name for the sun god, of which Ravi is an epithet

Aditya— Sanskrit sun-related name (son of Aditi, the mother of the sun gods)

Arya— Sanskrit name in the same South Asian Vedic tradition

Krishna— Sanskrit name of the Hindu deity, in the same tradition

Arjun— Sanskrit hero name from Mahabharata in the same tradition

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ravi mean?

Ravi means 'sun,' from Sanskrit ravi — one of the names for Surya, the Hindu sun deity.

How do you pronounce Ravi?

It's said RAH-vee — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ravi a boy or girl name?

Ravi is used as a boys' name.

How popular is Ravi?

Ravi ranked #1216 for U.S. boys in 2024.