| Nirav | Raja | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Silent, calm, quiet | king |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NEE-ruhv | RAH-jah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1984 (21) | 2001 (36) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nirav | Raja |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48 | 95 |
| 2010s | 120 | 179 |
| 2000s | 63 | 242 |
| 1990s | 63 | 155 |
| 1980s | 158 | 109 |
| 1970s | 94 | 77 |
| 1960s | 0 | 7 |
From the Sanskrit निरव (nirava), 'soundless, still', formed from nir- ('without') + rava ('sound, noise') — hence tranquil stillness. A genuine, if less common, classical formation.
From Sanskrit 'rajan' (nominative 'raja'), meaning 'king', ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to rule, to straighten'. (Note: the identically-spelled Arabic 'Raja' is an unrelated feminine name meaning 'hope'.)
Nirav and Raja are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Nirav means Silent, calm, quiet (sanskrit origin), while Raja means king (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Nirav first appears in 0 and Raja in 0, so Nirav has the longer recorded history.