Ajahn
A Thai word meaning "teacher" or "professor", especially a Buddhist monk.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Ajahn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ajahn today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ajahn births was 1993 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ajahn. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ajahn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1993
6 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1993 SSA rank
#7,650
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Ajahn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ajahn 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 Ajahn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ajahn
The name Ajahn is derived from the Pali language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language closely related to Sanskrit. It is a title of respect used in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, particularly in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
Pali is a sacred language that was used to preserve Buddhist scriptures and teachings. The word "Ajahn" is a combination of the prefix "a-" meaning "not" and the word "jahn" meaning "to be born." Together, it translates to "one who is not reborn" or "one who has ended the cycle of rebirth."
The title Ajahn is typically given to senior Buddhist monks who have attained a certain level of spiritual development and teaching experience. These monks are highly respected within their monastic communities and often serve as spiritual guides and teachers to both monastics and lay followers.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the title Ajahn can be found in the Pali Canon, a collection of Buddhist scriptures dating back to the 5th century BCE. In these texts, the Buddha himself referred to some of his most accomplished disciples as "Ajahn," recognizing their advanced spiritual attainment.
Throughout history, several notable Ajahns have left a significant impact on the Buddhist tradition. One such figure was Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto (1870-1949), a renowned Thai Buddhist monk and meditation master who revived the practice of forest monasticism in Thailand. His teachings and example inspired many other influential Ajahns, including Ajahn Chah (1918-1992), Ajahn Buddhadasa (1906-1993), and Ajahn Sumedho (born 1934).
Ajahn Chah, in particular, was a highly revered Thai Buddhist monk who established several forest monasteries and played a crucial role in the spread of Theravada Buddhism in the West. His teachings on mindfulness and the practice of meditation have had a profound impact on Buddhist communities worldwide.
Another notable Ajahn was Ajahn Brahm (born 1951), a British-born Buddhist monk who has contributed significantly to the establishment of the Theravada Buddhist tradition in Australia and other parts of the Western world.
The title Ajahn continues to be used today by senior Buddhist monks in Southeast Asia and within the international Theravada Buddhist community. It carries a deep sense of respect and reverence, acknowledging the spiritual attainment and teachings of these esteemed individuals.
People
Ajahn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ajahn 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
Ajahn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ajahn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ajahn 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Ajahn a common name?
We classify Ajahn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ajahn most popular?
The single biggest year for Ajahn was 1993, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ajahn is about 32 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 Ajahn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ajahn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ajahn 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 Ajahn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ajahn 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 Ajahn 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 people are named Ajahn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.