Ravi

Ravi is a masculine given name of Sanskrit origin. The name derives from the Sanskrit word Ravi, meaning sun or ray, and is commonly used in India, Pakistan, and among the diaspora. It is used across linguistic communities, including Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. In Hindu tradition, the sun is a significant deity, and the name is sometimes given with the connotation of brightness and vitality. The name can appear as a standalone given name or as part of compound names.

Notable people named Ravi include Ravi Shankar (1920–2012), Indian sitar virtuoso and composer; Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020), Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist and author. More broadly, many actors, writers, scientists, and athletes bear the name.

Geographically, Ravi refers also to the Ravi River, a transboundary river rising in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and flowing through Punjab into Pakistan, one of the five rivers of the Punjab region.

In modern times, the name is used internationally in various forms and transliterations. It remains a common given name in South Asia and among people of South Asian descent worldwide.