| Nirav | Rakesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Silent, calm, quiet | Lord of the full moon |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NEE-ruhv | rah-KESH |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1984 (21) | 1980 (21) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nirav | Rakesh |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48 | 0 |
| 2010s | 120 | 11 |
| 2000s | 63 | 58 |
| 1990s | 63 | 75 |
| 1980s | 158 | 153 |
| 1970s | 94 | 129 |
| 1960s | 0 | 16 |
From the Sanskrit निरव (nirava), 'soundless, still', formed from nir- ('without') + rava ('sound, noise') — hence tranquil stillness. A genuine, if less common, classical formation.
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.
Nirav and Rakesh are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Nirav means Silent, calm, quiet (sanskrit origin), while Rakesh means Lord of the full moon (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Nirav first appears in 0 and Rakesh in 0, so Nirav has the longer recorded history.