| Rakesh | Nakul | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lord of the full moon | Mongoose; a Pandava |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | rah-KESH | NUH-kul |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1980 (21) | 2004 (15) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rakesh | Nakul |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 0 | 20 |
| 2010s | 11 | 45 |
| 2000s | 58 | 93 |
| 1990s | 75 | 42 |
| 1980s | 153 | 5 |
| 1970s | 129 | 0 |
| 1960s | 16 | 0 |
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.
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 and Nakul are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Rakesh means Lord of the full moon (sanskrit origin), while Nakul means Mongoose; a Pandava (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rakesh first appears in 0 and Nakul in 0, so Rakesh has the longer recorded history.