| Rishi | Aarush | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sage, seer | First ray of the sun; red |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RISH-ee | AH-roosh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 2002 |
| Peak year | 2023 (229) | 2010 (227) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 99 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Rishi | Aarush |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,156 | 664 |
| 2010s | 1,322 | 1,860 |
| 2000s | 1,578 | 536 |
| 1990s | 523 | 0 |
| 1980s | 432 | 0 |
| 1970s | 131 | 0 |
From the Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛṣi), 'a seer, sage, inspired poet' — the title of the sages to whom the Vedic hymns were revealed. A firmly established classical word.
From Sanskrit arusha (आरुष), 'reddish, red of dawn', commonly glossed as 'the first ray of the sun'. The 'red/dawn' sense is the attested one; 'first ray of sun' is the popular reading.
Aarush is more popular than Rishi today: about 99 US babies were given the name Aarush in 2025, compared with 0 named Rishi.
Rishi means Sage, seer (sanskrit origin), while Aarush means First ray of the sun; red (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Rishi first appears in 0 and Aarush in 2002, so Rishi has the longer recorded history.