| Bodhi | Arjun | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | awakening, enlightenment | Bright; shining white |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BOH-dee | AR-jun |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1976 | 1967 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,301) | 2014 (650) |
| In 2025 | 1,301 | 615 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bodhi | Arjun |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,042 | 3,058 |
| 2010s | 6,291 | 5,486 |
| 2000s | 788 | 2,433 |
| 1990s | 156 | 908 |
| 1980s | 0 | 245 |
| 1970s | 15 | 34 |
| 1960s | 0 | 12 |
From the Sanskrit word 'bodhi', meaning 'awakening' or 'enlightenment', a central concept in Buddhism (the Buddha attained bodhi under the Bodhi tree). Its use as a given name is modern and tied to this spiritual meaning.
From Sanskrit arjuna (अर्जुन), 'white, bright, silvery, clear'. Best known as the heroic third Pandava prince and Krishna's friend in the Mahabharata; the literal root sense is 'shining/white' rather than 'warrior'.
Bodhi is more popular than Arjun today: about 1,301 US babies were given the name Bodhi in 2025, compared with 615 named Arjun.
Bodhi means awakening, enlightenment (sanskrit origin), while Arjun means Bright; shining white (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Bodhi first appears in 1976 and Arjun in 1967, so Arjun has the longer recorded history.