| Soma | Rakesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon | Lord of the full moon |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SOH-mah | rah-KESH |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2022 (14) | 1980 (21) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Soma | Rakesh |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 60 | 0 |
| 2010s | 68 | 11 |
| 2000s | 16 | 58 |
| 1990s | 0 | 75 |
| 1980s | 0 | 153 |
| 1970s | 0 | 129 |
| 1960s | 0 | 16 |
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 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 and Rakesh are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Soma means Moon (sanskrit origin), while Rakesh means Lord of the full moon (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Soma first appears in 0 and Rakesh in 0, so Soma has the longer recorded history.