| Nakul | Rakesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Mongoose; a Pandava | Lord of the full moon |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NUH-kul | rah-KESH |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2004 (15) | 1980 (21) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nakul | Rakesh |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 20 | 0 |
| 2010s | 45 | 11 |
| 2000s | 93 | 58 |
| 1990s | 42 | 75 |
| 1980s | 5 | 153 |
| 1970s | 0 | 129 |
| 1960s | 0 | 16 |
From Sanskrit nakula (नकुल), literally 'mongoose'. Best known as the fourth Pandava brother, twin of Sahadeva, in the Mahabharata, renowned for his beauty and skill with horses.
Rakesh combines Sanskrit raka ('full moon' or the full-moon night) and isha ('lord, ruler'), i.e. 'lord of the full moon,' per Monier-Williams. A genuine, dictionary-backed lunar name.
Nakul and Rakesh are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Nakul means Mongoose; a Pandava (sanskrit origin), while Rakesh means Lord of the full moon (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Nakul first appears in 0 and Rakesh in 0, so Nakul has the longer recorded history.