Veda comes from the Sanskrit word for "knowledge" and is the name of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, the Vedas. American parents first discovered the name around 1900, when it fit in with Vera and Ada; the film Mildred Pierce gave it to Joan Crawford's scheming daughter. After a long absence Veda returned to the US top 1000 in 2015, climbed to number 693 in 2024 and ranks number 739 in 2025.