| Aarush | Rishi | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | First ray of the sun; red | Sage, seer |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AH-roosh | RISH-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 2002 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2010 (227) | 2023 (229) |
| In 2025 | 99 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aarush | Rishi |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 664 | 1,156 |
| 2010s | 1,860 | 1,322 |
| 2000s | 536 | 1,578 |
| 1990s | 0 | 523 |
| 1980s | 0 | 432 |
| 1970s | 0 | 131 |
From Sanskrit arusha (आरुष), 'reddish, red of dawn', commonly glossed as 'the first ray of the sun'. The 'red/dawn' sense is the attested one; 'first ray of sun' is the popular reading.
From the Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi), 'a seer, sage, inspired poet' — the title of the sages to whom the Vedic hymns were revealed. A firmly established classical word.
Aarush is more popular than Rishi today: about 99 US babies were given the name Aarush in 2025, compared with 0 named Rishi.
Aarush means First ray of the sun; red (sanskrit origin), while Rishi means Sage, seer (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Aarush first appears in 2002 and Rishi in 0, so Rishi has the longer recorded history.