Krishna is a Sanskrit name that means "dark" or "dark blue", a reference to the skin color of the Hindu god Krishna, the playful cowherd and divine charioteer of the Bhagavad Gita. It is one of the most widely used religious names in India and is given to both boys and, less often, girls. In the United States Krishna ranked number 2279 for boys in 2000, peaked at number 1665 in 2004 and stands at number 2120 among boys' names in 2025.