Rachna
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "creation" or "composition".
Name Census estimates that about 203 living Americans carry the first name Rachna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rachna today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rachna births was 1979 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rachna. 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 Rachna with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
203
~ 1 in 1,688,445 Americans
Peak year
1979
12 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2011 SSA rank
#14,497
Tracked since 1976
Census
Rachna in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,109 people with the first name Rachna, which placed it at #11,518 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#11,518
National first-name rank
People counted
1.1K
1,109 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
96.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rachna
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rachna is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Black (0.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Rachna described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Rachna at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.3% · 1,068
- White1.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.7% · 8
- Two or more races0.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Popularity
Rachna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rachna from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rachna 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 Rachna 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 Rachna
The name Rachna originates from the Sanskrit language and has its roots in ancient Indian culture and Hindu traditions. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "rachana," which means "creation" or "composition." This name is believed to have been in use since ancient times, possibly dating back to the Vedic period of Indian history (c. 1500–500 BCE).
In Hindu mythology, Rachna is associated with the concept of creativity and artistic expression. It is believed that the name was given to children with the hope that they would possess creative talents and contribute to the cultural and artistic fabric of society. The name may also have been inspired by the Hindu goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music, arts, and wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rachna can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Rachna is mentioned as the name of a character who was known for her artistic skills and creativity. However, the specific details about this character are scarce.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Rachna. One of the earliest recorded examples is Rachna Sansadvatika, an Indian poet and scholar who lived during the 8th century CE. She was renowned for her contributions to Sanskrit literature and poetic works.
Another prominent figure with the name Rachna was Rachna Sharma, a 12th-century Indian mystic and spiritual leader. She was known for her teachings on devotion, love, and the path to enlightenment. Her writings and teachings had a significant impact on the spiritual traditions of her time.
In more recent times, Rachna Chhachhi (born 1972) is a renowned Indian artist and sculptor. Her works explore themes of identity, gender, and the human experience. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to the art world.
Rachna Banerjee (born 1964) is an Indian author and poet who has written several acclaimed novels and poetry collections. Her works often delve into the complexities of human relationships, emotions, and societal issues.
Rachna Gilmore (born 1965) is a British-Indian journalist and author. She has written extensively on topics related to South Asian culture, identity, and social issues. Her works have been widely acclaimed for their insightful perspectives and engaging storytelling.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Rachna. The name continues to be popular in various parts of South Asia and the Indian diaspora, carrying with it the rich cultural heritage and creative associations of its Sanskrit origins.
People
Rachna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rachna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rachna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rachna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 203 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rachna 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 1,688,445 US residents.
Is Rachna a common name?
We classify Rachna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 213 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rachna most popular?
The single biggest year for Rachna was 1979, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rachna is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Rachna in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,109 people with the name Rachna, or 0.37 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #11,518 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Rachna in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Rachna?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Rachna appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,105 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Rachna?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Rachna is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.7%) and Black (0.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Rachna most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Rachna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (1,068 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Rachna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rachna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rachna 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 Rachna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rachna 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 Rachna 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.
How many people are named Rachna?
Find out how many people share the name Rachna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.