| Om | Dev | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The sacred syllable | God; divine |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | OHM | DAYV |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1983 | 1969 |
| Peak year | 2008 (153) | 2009 (145) |
| In 2025 | 66 | 126 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Om | Dev |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 411 | 690 |
| 2010s | 920 | 1,188 |
| 2000s | 968 | 975 |
| 1990s | 17 | 147 |
| 1980s | 5 | 85 |
| 1970s | 0 | 56 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
From Sanskrit Om (ॐ), the sacred primordial sound and mantra regarded in Hindu tradition as the essence of the universe. Used as a name it carries that whole spiritual weight.
From Sanskrit deva (देव), 'god, deity, divine one', from a root meaning 'to shine'. A simple, ancient word meaning 'divine'.
Dev is more popular than Om today: about 126 US babies were given the name Dev in 2025, compared with 66 named Om.
Om means The sacred syllable (sanskrit origin), while Dev means God; divine (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Om first appears in 1983 and Dev in 1969, so Dev has the longer recorded history.