| Indigo | Navy | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Deep blue-purple dye | the navy; deep blue |
| Origin | English | english |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | IN-dih-goh | NAY-vee |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1971 | 1985 |
| Peak year | 2025 (318) | 2025 (935) |
| In 2025 | 318 | 935 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Indigo | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,693 | 4,500 |
| 2010s | 1,148 | 1,234 |
| 2000s | 597 | 117 |
| 1990s | 565 | 49 |
| 1980s | 12 | 13 |
| 1970s | 5 | 0 |
Indigo names the deep blue-purple dye and colour, from the Greek for “Indian.”
A modern word-name from English 'navy' (a nation's fleet, and the deep blue color named after naval uniforms), ultimately from Latin 'navis', ship. It has no older history as a personal name; its appeal is the color and the nautical association.
Navy is more popular than Indigo today: about 935 US babies were given the name Navy in 2025, compared with 318 named Indigo.
Indigo means Deep blue-purple dye (English origin), while Navy means the navy; deep blue (english origin).
In US records, Indigo first appears in 1971 and Navy in 1985, so Indigo has the longer recorded history.