Bodhi
Say it: BOH-dee
BoyMeans awakening, or enlightenment5 letters2 syllables
#165
in Ireland (2025)
#161 with spellings combined
30
babies in 2025
#161
best rank (2025)
225
babies since 2012
Up 344
10-year rank change
Bodhi through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | #161 |
| 2024 | 26 | #185 |
| 2023 | 31 | #163 |
| 2022 | 28 | #183 |
| 2021 | 21 | #226 |
| 2020 | 18 | #253 |
| 2019 | 9 | #389 |
| 2018 | 18 | #259 |
| 2017 | 20 | #250 |
| 2016 | 8 | #412 |
| 2015 | 6 | #505 |
| 2014 | 4 | #609 |
| 2013 | 3 | #712 |
| 2012 | 3 | #718 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Bodhi mean?
Awakening, or enlightenment
Sanskrit, from bodhi, the Buddhist word for awakening.
Say it right
BOHdee
The story of Bodhi
Bodhi is a word from Sanskrit and Pali used in Buddhism. It means awakening, and it is usually translated as enlightenment: the wisdom of a Buddha. It comes from a root meaning “to awaken”.
Its use as a first name in English is recent. Characters called Bodhi in films and comics helped to spread it.
Bodhi first appears in the CSO records in 2012. It peaked in 2023, with 31 babies, and reached number 161 in 2025, its best rank so far, when 30 boys were named Bodhi. A few have been registered as Bodhí since the CSO began recording fadas, and a small number of girls have the name too. In Northern Ireland its best rank was number 107 in 2022.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Bodhi (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Enlightenment in Buddhism
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Bodhi | 30 | 221 |
| Bodhí | under 3 | 4 |
In Northern Ireland
#169 in 2025 with 13 babies. Best rank #107 (2022); 98 babies since 2016.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Bodhi is also given to girls: 12 since 2019, 3 in 2025.