| Rani | Vedika | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | queen | Altar, sacred platform |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | RAH-nee | VAY-dih-kuh |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1971 (44) | 2024 (39) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rani | Vedika |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 174 | 157 |
| 2010s | 231 | 189 |
| 2000s | 309 | 161 |
| 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 वेदिका (vedikā), 'a sacrificial altar, raised platform', and in architecture the railing enclosing a sacred space. The popular 'knowledgeable woman' gloss (via veda, 'knowledge') is a folk etymology, not the dictionary sense.
Rani and Vedika are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Rani means queen (sanskrit origin), while Vedika means Altar, sacred platform (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rani first appears in 0 and Vedika in 0, so Rani has the longer recorded history.