Nivedita is a feminine given name of Sanskrit origin. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "nive" meaning "offering" and "dita" meaning "given". Therefore, Nivedita means "the one who has been offered or dedicated".
The name Nivedita has a rich history in India. One of the most notable figures associated with this name is Sister Nivedita, born Margaret Elizabeth Noble in Ireland in 1867. She was a Scottish-Irish educational pioneer and social worker who traveled to India and became a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, a prominent Indian Hindu monk and philosopher. She adopted the name Nivedita, which means "dedicated to God", as she dedicated her life to serving India and its people.
Sister Nivedita founded several schools and colleges for girls in India, including the first girls' school in Kolkata, now known as the Ramkrishna Sarada Mission School. She also played a significant role in India's independence movement by raising awareness about Indian culture and history among the British and encouraging Indians to fight against British rule.
While Nivedita is not typically used as a given name outside of India, it has gained some popularity internationally due to its association with Sister Nivedita's legacy. It remains a popular choice among parents looking for unique, meaningful names with deep cultural roots.
The given statistics show the annual births with the name Nivedita in the United States from 1983 to 2011. During this period, there were a total of 85 babies named Nivedita born across the country.
Interestingly, the number of newborns with this name varied significantly year by year. The years with the highest number of births were 2002 and 2006, each with 12 and 11 births respectively. On the other hand, some years had only a handful of babies named Nivedita: five in both 1983 and 1996, seven in both 1999 and 2004, six in both 2007 and 2008, and again in 2011.
Despite the fluctuations, it's clear that Nivedita remained a distinctive name choice for parents throughout these two decades. However, it was not among the most popular names during this time, as evidenced by the relatively low numbers of births each year.