| Rakesh | Soma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lord of the full moon | Moon |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | rah-KESH | SOH-mah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1980 (21) | 2022 (14) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rakesh | Soma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 0 | 60 |
| 2010s | 11 | 68 |
| 2000s | 58 | 16 |
| 1990s | 75 | 0 |
| 1980s | 153 | 0 |
| 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.
Soma is a common alternate name of the Hindu moon god Chandra. Note: in the earliest Vedic texts Soma referred chiefly to a ritual plant and its drink; the lunar sense developed in post-Vedic mythology, so the moon meaning is deity-derived rather than primary.
Rakesh and Soma are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Rakesh means Lord of the full moon (sanskrit origin), while Soma means Moon (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rakesh first appears in 0 and Soma in 0, so Rakesh has the longer recorded history.