Ovi
A feminine name of Hindu origin representing a majestic river.
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the first name Ovi. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 71.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Ovi today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ovi births was 2024 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ovi. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ovi with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
118
~ 1 in 2,904,698 Americans
Peak year
2024
18 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,767
Tracked since 2015
Gender
Gender distribution for Ovi
Ovi is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 119 total registrations, 34 (28.6%) were male and 85 (71.4%) were female.
Ovi as a male name
- Ranked #8,767 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (9 births)
Ovi as a female name
- Ranked #10,852 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (12 births)
Popularity
Ovi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ovi from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 75 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ovi by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ovi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ovi
The name Ovi has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, where it is derived from the Sanskrit word "avi," which means "sheep" or "ram." This name has been in use in various parts of South Asia for centuries.
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, there are references to several characters and deities with names containing the word "avi." One example is Avinash, which means "indestructible" and is one of the names of Lord Shiva.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ovi can be traced back to the 6th century CE, when it was mentioned in ancient Indian inscriptions and manuscripts. During the medieval period, several rulers and prominent figures in South Asia bore the name Ovi or its variations.
One notable figure was Ovi Kalidasa, a renowned Sanskrit poet and playwright who lived in the 4th-5th century CE. His works, such as the play "Abhijnanashakuntalam," are considered literary masterpieces and have had a significant influence on Indian literature and culture.
Another famous person with the name Ovi was Ovi Vamana, a 12th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is credited with developing new methods for calculating the positions of planets and stars.
In the 16th century, Ovi Singh was a prominent Rajput ruler who ruled over the princely state of Mewar in present-day Rajasthan, India. He is remembered for his bravery and military conquests, as well as his patronage of arts and architecture.
During the Mughal era in India, Ovi Khan was a renowned general and military commander who served under Emperor Akbar. He played a vital role in several military campaigns and was known for his strategic prowess and leadership skills.
In more recent times, Ovi Anand was an influential Indian novelist and playwright of the 20th century. Born in 1932, he received numerous literary awards and accolades for his works, which explored themes of social injustice, human relationships, and the complexities of modern life.
While the name Ovi has its roots in South Asia, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with Indian or South Asian heritage.
People
Ovi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ovi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ovi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ovi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 118 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ovi going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,904,698 US residents.
Is Ovi a common name?
We classify Ovi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 119 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ovi most popular?
The single biggest year for Ovi was 2024, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ovi is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ovi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ovi a female name?
Yes, 71.4% of people registered as Ovi in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ovi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ovi in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ovi can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Ovi?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.