Indiana
Feminine · “land of the Indians”
Indiana is given to both — 2,090 girls and 1,447 boys since 1880. See Indiana as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Indiana means land of the Indians — a name given by mistake, since Columbus thought he had reached the Indies.
How old is the name Indiana?
Indiana was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Indiana is a kid of about 11 — this name's wave is very recent. About 1,700 people named Indiana are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Indiana most popular?
Indiana peaked in 1880, reaching #580 nationally. Today it ranks #2194, 1,614 places below that high. See the whole 1880 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Indus to Indiana
The story of Indiana
The Indus gave its name to India, to Greek Indos and eventually to the English 'Indian', which Columbus's error transferred to two continents; the state of Indiana carries the mistake in its name. It entered American given-name use for both sexes and appears in the registers in current use.
Meaning
land of the Indians
From the English 'Indian' plus a Latin place-name ending. 'Indian' descends from the Indus river through Greek and Latin, and was applied to the Americas because Columbus believed he had reached the Indies. The state was named in 1800. The etymology is documented.
How the name formed
- Indus
- Indian
- Indiana
Related forms: India · India
Pronouncing Indiana
in-dee-AN-uh
Four syllables, stress on the third. Said identically in every American accent.
Nicknames for Indiana
Moderate
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
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 2021112 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #580reached in 1880
- Change vs 2023
- −13.4%84 in 2025, from 97
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.
Indiana in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- India in Latin — related form
- India in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Indianas among us
people named Indiana are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 19,134 born in 2025 was named Indiana
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Indiana 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
Where Indiana is headed
Indiana should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Indiana beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Indiana in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That the name preserves Columbus's navigational error is a first-rate fact.
- Indie and Anna are two short forms, both with real records.
- Four syllables of open vowels, which carries unusually well.
- It is a state name and reads as one.
- One film character dominates the association for many.
- The name rests on a colonial misnaming, which some families will weigh.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Indiana to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Indiana? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Indiana
Feminine · #2194 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Indianas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,700 people named Indiana are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Indiana in 2025?
- Indiana ranks #2194 among US girl names in 2025, with 84 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Indiana?
- About 1 in every 19,134 US girls born in 2025 was named Indiana — 84 in all.
- Will my child share the name Indiana with classmates?
- Indiana will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Indiana
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Asia#2194 · Zaila#2194 · Addalyn#2194 · Caylee#2194 · Olympia#2194 · Janna#2194 · Aqsa#2194 · Samiya#2194
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Indiana? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Indiana and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle