NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Ravi

An Indian masculine name derived from Sanskrit meaning "the sun".

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.

Ravi is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Ravi popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1132, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 47 births.

This profile covers 651 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 649 living people in the UK are called Ravi. 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

  • Ravi ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1997, when 47 boys were registered as Ravi.
  • Ravi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 1982.
  • About 649 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ravi as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1132

2024

Births in 2024

25

Latest year

Peak year

1997

47 births

Estimated living

649

2026

Meaning

What does Ravi mean?

The name Ravi has its origins in Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world. It is believed to have originated in ancient India, with references dating back to the 3rd century BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "ravi," which means "sun."

In Hindu mythology, Ravi is one of the names used to refer to the sun god, Surya. The name is mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, including the Vedas and the Puranas. The Vedas, which are considered the oldest scriptures in Hinduism, contain numerous hymns and prayers dedicated to Surya, or Ravi, the sun god.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ravi can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Ravi is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great war of Kurukshetra.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ravi. One of the most famous is Ravi Shankar (1920-2012), the renowned Indian sitar player and composer who popularized Indian classical music worldwide. Another notable Ravi was Ravi Varma (1848-1906), a celebrated Indian painter who is considered a pioneer in the field of modern Indian art.

Other historical figures with the name Ravi include Ravi Teja (circa 6th century CE), a Telugu poet and playwright from South India, and Ravi Das (1450-1520), a renowned Hindu saint and poet from the Bhakti movement in North India. Additionally, Ravi Naik (1856-1901) was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule.

The name Ravi has maintained its popularity across various regions of India and among the Hindu diaspora around the world. Its association with the sun, a revered celestial body in Hindu mythology, has contributed to its enduring appeal and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ravi over time

The chart below shows babies named Ravi 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 Ravi, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 47 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Ravi
012243547199620102024

Decades

Ravi by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ravi 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 #1093 132 5
2010s #1701 152 10
2000s #1061 204 10
1990s #482 163 4

Geography

Where Ravi is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ravi. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Ravi ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 1982.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Ravi in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#315 in 1982

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Ravi

  • Ravi Patel

    cricketer

    English cricketer (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Ravi Bopara

    cricketer

    Cricket player of England. (born 1985)

    1985-

  • Ravi Agrawal

    journalist

    Indian journalist and television producer

    1982-

  • Ravi Nagra

    cricketer

    English cricketer (born 1978)

    1978-

  • Ravi Thornton

    comics artist

    British writer

    1973-

  • Ravi Kapoor

    actor; screenwriter; film actor; film director; television actor

    British-born actor

    1969-

  • Ravi Apnabeat

    musician

    Musician, DJ

  • Ravi Deepres

    photographer

    British photographer

Related

Names similar to Ravi

FAQ

Ravi: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ravi in the UK right now?

In 2024, Ravi was ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.

When was Ravi most popular?

The peak year on record was 1997, with 47 babies registered as Ravi in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ravi?

An Indian masculine name derived from Sanskrit meaning "the sun".

How many people are called Ravi in the UK?

A total of 651 babies have been registered as Ravi across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Ravi most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ravi ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #315 in 1982. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.