Indiana means land of the Indians — from the Latin. Indiana Jones is cinema's greatest adventurer — we named the dog Indiana. Indiana is the Hoosier State. The name carries an entire state AND cinema's greatest adventurer through four syllables of Latin-geographical heritage, Jones-level whip-cracking, and the line that made naming your child after a dog acceptable.
Four syllables with an adventurous, geographical sound: in-dee-AN-ah.
The meaning land of the Indians carries Latin heritage.
◎
The vibe of Indiana
land of IndiansLatinJonesadventurerHoosier Statewe named the dogwhipcinema
◎
Origin & history of Indiana
Latin Indianus (of the Indians) + -a→Indiana
1
English roots
Indiana means land of the Indians from the Latin. Indiana Jones is cinema's greatest adventurer. We named the dog Indiana is one of cinema's most quoted lines.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: US state (1816); Indiana Jones (1981).
3
Today
Indiana remains a beloved choice, ranking #2046 in the US. 3,392 babies have been named Indiana since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
◆
How popular is Indiana?
2021peak year
Indiana reached its widest reach during the 2020s. In 2021, 112 babies received the name (ranked #1810). In the present decade it sits well outside the top 1,000 (around #2046), with about 171 babies given the name annually. Indiana's usage has held roughly steady recently. The all-time total comes to roughly 3,392 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Indiana's Life Path 5 is the adventurer's number — Jones-level adventure. People named Indiana tend to be bold, adventurous, and gifted at being named after the dog and making it work.
Every name has a homeland. Discover beautiful girl names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.