Sloka
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning a verse or hymn.
Name Census estimates that about 238 living Americans carry the first name Sloka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sloka today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sloka births was 2013 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sloka. 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 Sloka with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
238
~ 1 in 1,440,144 Americans
Peak year
2013
25 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,941
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Sloka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sloka from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 178 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sloka 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 Sloka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Slokas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sloka
The name Sloka has its origins in Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have first appeared in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures around the 3rd century BCE. The word "sloka" in Sanskrit refers to a verse, hymn, or poetic couplet, particularly those found in the Vedas, the sacred Hindu scriptures.
In the ancient Indian tradition, slokas were considered a powerful medium for conveying profound spiritual and philosophical teachings. They were composed in a metrical form, making them easy to memorize and recite. The name Sloka likely emerged as a name for those who had a deep connection with the Vedic tradition or were well-versed in the art of composing and reciting slokas.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sloka was Sloka Devi, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 7th century CE. She was known for her erudite commentaries on various Hindu philosophical texts and her mastery of the art of sloka composition.
Another notable figure was Sloka Rishi, a sage and philosopher who is believed to have lived around the 8th century CE. He is credited with authoring several works on Vedic philosophy and is said to have been a revered teacher of the Vedas and Hindu scriptures.
In the 11th century CE, Sloka Varma, a celebrated poet and scholar from the Indian state of Karnataka, gained recognition for his poetic works, which were acclaimed for their eloquence and profound insights. His magnum opus, "Sloka Ratnakara," a collection of slokas on various subjects, remains a cherished work of literature to this day.
During the 14th century CE, Sloka Nath, a renowned Hindu mystic and spiritual teacher, gained a significant following in parts of northern India. He is known for his teachings on the path of devotion and his ability to express profound spiritual truths through simple yet profound slokas.
In more recent times, Sloka Sundari, a 20th-century Indian poet and writer, made significant contributions to the literary landscape of her time. Her poetic works, often composed in the form of slokas, explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience, earning her critical acclaim and a dedicated readership.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Sloka throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Indian culture, literature, and spiritual traditions in their own unique way.
People
Sloka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sloka as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sloka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sloka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 238 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sloka 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 1,440,144 US residents.
Is Sloka a common name?
We classify Sloka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 240 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sloka most popular?
The single biggest year for Sloka was 2013, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sloka is about 10 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 Sloka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sloka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sloka 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 Sloka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sloka 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 Sloka 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 Sloka?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.