UK girl's name
Nandini
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "daughter of joy".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Nandini is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nandini popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 14 births.
This profile covers 169 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 36% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 168 living people in the UK are called Nandini. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nandini ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 14 girls were registered as Nandini.
- • About 168 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nandini as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2009
14 births
Estimated living
168
2026
Meaning
What does Nandini mean?
The name Nandini has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "nandana," which means delight, joy, or bliss. The name is believed to have been in use in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times.
One of the earliest references to the name Nandini can be found in Hindu mythology. In the Puranas, Nandini is the name of the sacred cow that emerged from the churning of the cosmic ocean and was gifted to the sage Vashistha by Indra, the king of the devas (gods). Nandini's milk was said to possess miraculous healing properties, and she is revered as a symbol of abundance and fertility.
The name Nandini gained popularity across India during the medieval period, and several historical figures bore this name. One notable example is Nandini, a 10th-century scholar and poet from the Chola Empire in South India. She was renowned for her mastery of Sanskrit and her contributions to Tamil literature.
Another prominent figure with the name Nandini was Nandini Devi, a 17th-century Assamese poet and writer. She is considered one of the earliest and most influential female writers in the Assamese language and is best known for her literary work, "Radhara Ananta Lila."
In more recent times, Nandini Harinath (1918-2012) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She played a significant role in popularizing and preserving the Bharatanatyam dance form and was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1999.
Nandini Satpathy (1931-2006) was an eminent Indian politician and social worker from Odisha. She served as a member of the Indian Parliament and was actively involved in various social and educational initiatives, particularly in the field of women's empowerment.
Nandini Krishnan (born 1974) is an Indian actress known for her work in Tamil and Malayalam films. She has won several awards for her performances, including the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the 2001 film "Bhoothakkannadi."
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nandini over time
The chart below shows babies named Nandini registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nandini, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nandini by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nandini was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4460 | 18 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3448 | 60 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2596 | 75 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2674 | 16 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Nandini
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Nandini: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nandini in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nandini was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Nandini most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 14 babies registered as Nandini in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nandini?
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "daughter of joy".
How many people are called Nandini in the UK?
A total of 169 babies have been registered as Nandini across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.