Neha - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Neha

Neha is a feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, etymologically derived from the lexical root neha, which in classical Indo-Aryan usage denotes “affection” or “tenderness”; phonologically, its Hindi articulation (/neˌha/) manifests a bisyllabic trochaic pattern with primary stress on the initial syllable. From an onomastic standpoint, the name carries enduring cultural associations of emotional warmth and devotional sentiment, frequently invoked in South Asian literary and religious contexts to signify both human love and the auspicious onset of rainfall. Longitudinal analysis of United States Social Security Administration data reveals that Neha entered the national top 1 000 girls’ names in the early 1970s, reached its highest recorded position—805th—in 2009 with 158 occurrences, and as of 2024 occupies the 929th rank with 21 registered births, thereby illustrating a trajectory of sustained yet moderate adoption within the contemporary American naming landscape.