| Kunal | Aarnav | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lotus; a bird with beautiful eyes | Ocean, sea |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KUH-nahl | AHR-nuhv |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1994 (60) | 2012 (62) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Kunal | Aarnav |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 24 | 88 |
| 2010s | 92 | 345 |
| 2000s | 324 | 138 |
| 1990s | 454 | 0 |
| 1980s | 351 | 0 |
| 1970s | 14 | 0 |
From the Sanskrit कुणाल (kuṇāla), usually glossed as 'lotus' and secondarily 'a bird with beautiful eyes' (the latter a folk etymology). Historically the name of Emperor Ashoka's son Kunala, 3rd century BCE.
From the Sanskrit अर्णव (arṇava), meaning 'ocean' or 'sea', literally 'the foaming/surging water'. A well-established classical Sanskrit word for a great body of water, commonly spelled Arnav or Aarnav.
Kunal and Aarnav are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Kunal means Lotus; a bird with beautiful eyes (sanskrit origin), while Aarnav means Ocean, sea (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Kunal first appears in 0 and Aarnav in 0, so Kunal has the longer recorded history.