| Rani | Nishka | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | queen | Gold coin, gold ornament |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | RAH-nee | NISH-kuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1971 (44) | 2010 (46) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rani | Nishka |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 174 | 81 |
| 2010s | 231 | 311 |
| 2000s | 309 | 147 |
| 1990s | 331 | 0 |
| 1980s | 264 | 0 |
| 1970s | 377 | 0 |
| 1960s | 152 | 0 |
| 1950s | 50 | 0 |
| 1940s | 23 | 0 |
From Sanskrit 'rajni' (rani), the feminine of 'raja', meaning 'queen'. Used for both a queen regnant and a raja's wife across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
From the Sanskrit निष्क (niṣka), an ancient gold coin, and by extension a golden necklace or ornament — attested in the Manusmriti and other classical texts. Popular 'pure/honest' glosses on name sites are not supported by the classical sources.
Rani and Nishka are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Rani means queen (sanskrit origin), while Nishka means Gold coin, gold ornament (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rani first appears in 0 and Nishka in 0, so Rani has the longer recorded history.