| Dhruv | Pranav | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pole star; constant, steadfast | The sacred syllable Om |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DHROOV | PRUH-nav |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1987 | 1977 |
| Peak year | 2019 (210) | 2004 (236) |
| In 2025 | 195 | 56 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Dhruv | Pranav |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,153 | 398 |
| 2010s | 1,699 | 1,426 |
| 2000s | 1,335 | 2,010 |
| 1990s | 264 | 358 |
| 1980s | 23 | 28 |
| 1970s | 0 | 5 |
From the Sanskrit ध्रुव (dhruva), 'fixed, firm, immovable, constant'; also the name of the Pole Star and of the boy-devotee Dhruva in the Puranas, who became the unwavering North Star.
From Sanskrit pranava (प्रणव), the term for the sacred syllable 'Om', regarded as the primordial sound. A spiritually weighted name meaning the mystic syllable itself.
Dhruv is more popular than Pranav today: about 195 US babies were given the name Dhruv in 2025, compared with 56 named Pranav.
Dhruv means Pole star; constant, steadfast (sanskrit origin), while Pranav means The sacred syllable Om (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Dhruv first appears in 1987 and Pranav in 1977, so Pranav has the longer recorded history.