Devika
Feminine · “little goddess”
Devika is a Sanskrit diminutive: deva is a god, devi a goddess, and the -ka ending makes it small or dear — a little goddess. It is also a river in the Puranas and a name carried by the woman usually called the first lady of Indian cinema. Its American record is small and steady, peaking in 1993 with the growth of South Asian communities here.
How old is the name Devika?
Devika first appears in US birth records in 1975 — 50 years ago. The typical Devika alive today was born around 2006, making them about 19 years old. About 700 people named Devika are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Devika most popular?
Devika peaked in 1993, reaching #3987 nationally. Today it ranks #5722, 1,735 places below that high. See the whole 1993 chart.
Where it comes from
From div to Devika
The story of Devika
Devika appears in the Mahabharata as the name of a wife of Yudhishthira and in the Puranas as a river; the word itself has been available as a name for as long as Sanskrit has been used for naming. Its modern visibility owes a great deal to Devika Rani, who from 1933 was one of the first major stars of Indian cinema and the first woman to run a major Indian studio; she is a substantial historical figure and made the name familiar across India. It is used in Hindi-, Malayalam- and Marathi-speaking families, and American records carry it in small numbers from the 1970s onward.
Meaning
little goddess
Sanskrit devi, goddess, is the feminine of deva, god, and both come from a root div meaning to shine — the same Indo-European root behind Latin deus and dies, Greek Zeus, and English day and deity. The -ka suffix in Sanskrit forms diminutives and terms of endearment. Devika is therefore an affectionate formation rather than a grand one, which distinguishes it from the many names that simply mean goddess.
How the name formed
- div
- devi
- devika
- Devika
Related forms: Devika · Devika · Devika · Devika
Pronouncing Devika
DEH-vee-kah
Three syllables, stress on the first, with a short open e. English speakers sometimes say duh-VEE-kah, moving the stress to the middle, which is understood but is not the Sanskrit pattern.
Nicknames for Devika
High
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1975
- Most girls named
- 199326 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3987reached in 1993
- Change vs 2024
- −4.5%21 in 2025, from 22
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Devika in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Devika in Sanskrit — same name
- Devika in Hindi — same name
- Devika in Malayalam — same name
- Devika in Nepali — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas.
Devikas among us
people named Devika are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 76,537 born in 2025 was named Devika
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Karlin test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Devika's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Karlin climbed just as high around 1946, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Karlin's path sketches the road Devika is walking now.
Devika sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Devika beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Devika in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is affectionate and specific, and expressible in two words.
- Devi and Dev are both available and both easy in English.
- The spelling is phonetic and stable across transliteration from several Indian languages.
- Stress placement varies between Indian and American speakers.
- It is close to Devi, Deepika and Danika in sound.
- It has a clear religious frame, which suits some families and not others.
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What they receive
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Devika
Feminine · #5722 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Devikas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Devika are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Devika in 2025?
- Devika ranks #5722 among US girl names in 2025, with 21 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Devika?
- About 1 in every 76,537 US girls born in 2025 was named Devika — 21 in all.
- Will my child share the name Devika with classmates?
- Devika will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Devika
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Rosina#5722 · Delores#5722 · Vaughn#5722 · Roseline#5722 · Loyal#5722 · Missy#5722 · Danitza#5722 · Margret#5722
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Devika? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Devika and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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