Indira

Meaning of Indira

Indira, etymologically derived from the Sanskrit indīrā and connoting “splendour” or “beauty,” occupies a distinctive position within both South Asian and Western naming registers. Its inception in the ancient Vedic lexicon links it directly to the goddess Lakshmi, emblematic of prosperity and auspicious fortune, while its modern resonance was amplified by the political legacy of Indira Gandhi, India’s first and, to date, only female prime minister. In Anglo-American contexts, the name has sustained a continuous but modest presence: Social Security Administration data trace its entry into the top 1,000 female names in 1966 (rank 702, 43 occurrences) and document a gradual descent into the high 800s by 2024 (rank 897, 53 occurrences). This longitudinal trend underscores a pattern of enduring, cross-cultural appeal, wherein Indira’s Sanskrit heritage and historic associations converge with contemporary Western naming practices to yield a designation that is at once culturally rich and technically measurable in its adoption.