Vaayu
A Hindu name meaning wind or air, derived from Sanskrit.
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the first name Vaayu. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vaayu today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vaayu births was 2024 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vaayu. 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 Vaayu with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
144
~ 1 in 2,380,238 Americans
Peak year
2024
49 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,699
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Vaayu: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vaayu 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 138 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
Vaayu 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 Vaayu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vaayus live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Vaayu, while North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vaayu
The name Vaayu has its origins in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "vāyu," meaning "wind" or "air." The name is closely associated with Hinduism and is found in various Hindu scriptures and texts.
In Hindu mythology, Vaayu is the name of the god of wind, who is often depicted as a powerful and swift deity. He is considered one of the principal deities in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and is praised for his ability to purify the atmosphere and bring life-sustaining rains.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Vaayu can be traced back to the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. During this time, the name was used in various Vedic hymns and rituals, reflecting the importance of wind and air in the ancient Hindu belief system.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Vaayu. One of the most famous was Vaayu Naidu, an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1876 to 1939. He played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the underprivileged.
Another prominent figure was Vaayu Bhatt, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and philosopher who lived during the 7th century CE. He is credited with writing several influential works on grammar, poetry, and Hindu philosophy, and his contributions to Sanskrit literature are widely recognized.
In more recent times, Vaayu Mallik was an Indian film actor and director who made significant contributions to the Bengali cinema industry. Born in 1924, he directed several acclaimed films and is remembered for his artistic and socially conscious works.
Vaayu Narayanan was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1932 to 2018. He was a pioneer in the field of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, and played a crucial role in its revival and popularization.
Vaayu Kapoor was an Indian cricketer who played for the national team in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a skilled all-rounder and is remembered for his impressive performances in both batting and bowling.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Vaayu, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural and religious significance in the Indian subcontinent.
People
Vaayu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vaayu as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vaayu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vaayu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 144 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vaayu 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 2,380,238 US residents.
Is Vaayu a common name?
We classify Vaayu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vaayu most popular?
The single biggest year for Vaayu was 2024, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vaayu is about 3 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 Vaayu in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vaayu a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vaayu in the SSA data are male. 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 Vaayu still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vaayu 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 Vaayu 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 people share the name Vaayu?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.