Aadhav
A masculine Hindu name meaning "the first", "the initial", or "the prime".
Name Census estimates that about 309 living Americans carry the first name Aadhav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Aadhav today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aadhav births was 2015 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aadhav. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Aadhav with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
309
~ 1 in 1,109,237 Americans
Peak year
2015
31 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,811
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Aadhav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aadhav from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 224 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aadhav remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aadhav by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aadhav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aadhavs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Aadhav, while Texas, New Jersey, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aadhav
The given name Aadhav originates from the Sanskrit language and has its roots in ancient Indian culture, dating back to the early centuries of the common era. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Adhi," which means "first" or "supreme," and "Vah," meaning "to carry" or "to bear." Together, the name Aadhav can be interpreted as "one who bears or carries something of great importance."
In Hindu mythology, the name Aadhav is associated with Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism. It is believed to have been a name used by devotees or followers of Lord Shiva, symbolizing their dedication and reverence for the divine. The name can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, which are among the most revered religious texts in Hinduism.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aadhav can be traced back to the 5th century CE, when a renowned scholar and philosopher named Aadhav Shastri lived in the region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. He was celebrated for his contributions to the study of Sanskrit literature and his commentary on the ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Aadhav. In the 10th century, Aadhav Chandra was a prominent ruler of the Chandela dynasty, known for his patronage of art and architecture. The famous Khajuraho temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were constructed during his reign.
In the 15th century, Aadhav Vidyavagish was a revered scholar and poet from Maharashtra, India, who made significant contributions to the Marathi language and literature. His works, such as the "Srimadbhagavadgita-Tika," a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, are still widely studied and appreciated today.
Another notable figure was Aadhav Narayan Singh, a 19th-century Indian social reformer and educationist from Uttar Pradesh. He played a crucial role in promoting education and advocating for the rights of women and marginalized communities in India during the British colonial era.
In the field of music, Aadhav Lal Burman was a celebrated Indian film music composer who lived from 1891 to 1952. He composed numerous popular songs for Bollywood movies and is considered one of the pioneers of Indian film music.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the name Aadhav throughout history, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural and spiritual significance in the Indian subcontinent.
People
Aadhav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aadhav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aadhav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aadhav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 309 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aadhav going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,109,237 US residents.
Is Aadhav a common name?
We classify Aadhav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 311 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aadhav most popular?
The single biggest year for Aadhav was 2015, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aadhav is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aadhav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aadhav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aadhav in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aadhav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aadhav in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aadhav can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Aadhav?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Aadhav at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.