Baby Name of the Day: Indie

The baby name Indie blends a stylish sound, appealing meaning, and pop culture currency. 

Thanks to Carrie for suggesting her daughter’s nickname as our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME INDIE MEAN?

It’s difficult to pin down the meaning of the baby name Indie. It’s often short for something longer. That means, of course, that Indie shares the meaning of the longer form.

Some of the options include:

• INDIA – It’s said that British families with a connection to the former colony first used this name during the 19th century. Maybe, but we know that during the late 1800s, India appeared in the US popularity data a few times. The sound is quite stylish, but as place names go, it feels a little heavy, a little close to cultural appropriation. For what it’s worth, the place name refers to the Indus River, which comes from the Sanskrit word meaning river.
• INDIGO – Colorful name on the rise.
• INDIANA – As in intrepid fictional explorer Indiana Jones.
• INDIRA – A Sanskrit name meaning beauty.

The city of Indianpolis is called Indy for short, and lots of things associated with the place are also Indy. Most notably, the Indy 500 auto race held over Memorial Day weekend.

Or possibly Indie is more of a word name.

INDEPENDENT INDIE

If something is called indie film or indie rock, that means independent.

The word independent comes from the 17th century. It literally means “not dependent on,” so sometimes that requires no outside support or perhaps is free of external influence.

That might mean you’re independently wealthy, or you don’t identify with a specific political party. On college campuses with significant Greek systems, independents don’t belong to a fraternity or sorority. Sometimes churches are independent, too, meaning they don’t belong to a larger religious body.

But during the 20th century, independent came to mean something else. It referred to movies made by small studios, then music produced by tiny labels. They were outside of mainstream and less concerned with commercial success.

In the 1980s and 90s, it often meant music played on college radio stations in the US: R.E.M., Sonic Youth, the Smiths, the Pixies. Some of the bands became household names. Others stayed relatively unknown.

But indie rock and indie film have become familiar terms.

That means that the baby name Indie is closely assoicated with independence, as well as a sort of creativity and artistic integrity that such work implies. 

It’s a little bit of a modern virtue name.

INDIANA JONES AND MORE POP CULTURE INDIES

Around the same time college radio stations were discovering Dinosaur Jr., American filmgoers were falling in love with another Indy. This was the stuff of summer blockbusters, very much the opposite of independent film.

Since 1981, Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones, the daring archeologist whose adventures all around the world pit him against the Nazis, as well as other villains. 

(What’s that you say? Indy does his share of absconding with priceless artifacts, too? Okay, yes, but he’s the good guy.) 

Ford donned the iconic hat to play Dr. Jones in 1981, 1984, 1989, 2008, and 2023 – an impressive record. During the 1990s, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles gave us more of his backstory. Video games, comic books, novels, and even an amusement park ride and stage show at Disney parks followed. 

But let’s go back to that name.

We learn in the first movie that Indy is actually Henry Walton Jones, Jr. We’ll meet Henry Sr. in a sequel – and dad will explain that Indy borrowed his nickname from the family dog. 

It’s easy to imagine parents taking baby name inspiration from the long-running character.

Other fictional figures include Indira on Canada’s YTV show How to Be Indie. She’s a first generation Indian-Canadian navigating junior high and the considerable cultural differences between her parents and her school friends. The show ran from 2009 to 2012.

WHAT ELSE CAN INDIE BE SHORT FOR?

Any name with the right sound might shorten to Indie, including:

• Antiques like Belinda, Lucinda, and Rosalind
• Place name Indio, famous as the location of the annual Coachella music festival
• Ingrid works, too, taking the IN and ending the final D
• If Cynthia shortens to Cindy, is Indy an option, too?

Surely there are other options, especially if you’re willing to stretch. 

BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

One other option: the United States celebrates Independence Day on July 4th. That makes Indie a bit of a holiday name, potentially.

As a formal name, Independence has occasionally been heard, too.

STYLISH SOUND

While it’s easy to imagine Indie as a dimunitive for a longer name, it’s really not necessary.

In recent years, popular baby girl names have included Sadie and Goldie. If our daughters can be Ellie-not-Eleanor and Millie-not-Millicent, then just Indie has plenty of potential, too. 

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME INDIE? 

The baby name Indie has climbed the popularity charts in recent years.

As of 2024:

• The baby name Indie ranks #651 for girls, which is 450 births. Another 20 boys received the name.
• Indy was given to 361 girls, for a rank of #780, while 77 boys were named Indy.
• Another 65 girls were named Indi.

As a given name, Indie feels just right – breezy and unexpected, but not insubstantial. 

It’s the kind of unisex option that works for boys and girls alike. 

Indie spices up the buttoned-down Ingrid or elegant Rosalind, but also stands nicely on its own.

INDIE ON THE RISE

This name’s image is all about creativity. Indie is fresher than Poppy or Daisy. It’s a sister name for Juno, the perfect name for parents after something unexpected but easy to wear.

What do you think of the baby name Indie?

First published on March 10, 2011, this post was revised on July 3, 2025.