Anooj
A diminutive form of the Sanskrit name Anurag, meaning "love" or "affection".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Anooj. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Anooj today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Anooj births was 1990 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Anooj. 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 Anooj. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1990
5 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1990 SSA rank
#8,175
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Anooj: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Anooj 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 Anooj 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Anooj
The name Anooj is believed to have its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "anuja," which means "younger brother" or "younger sibling." The name gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly among Hindu communities.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Anooj can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts, where it was often used as a term of endearment for younger male siblings. It is also mentioned in several Hindu scriptures, such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas, where it is associated with characters who embodied qualities of loyalty, courage, and devotion.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Anooj. One of the earliest recorded examples is Anooj Singh, a 12th-century warrior and commander who served under the famous ruler Prithviraj Chauhan. He was known for his bravery and military prowess in battles against invading forces.
Another prominent figure was Anooj Dhar, a 16th-century Sanskrit scholar and poet from Kashmir. He authored several literary works, including the acclaimed "Anoojdharavali," a compilation of lyrical poems that celebrated the beauty of nature and human emotions.
In the 18th century, Anooj Khilji was a prominent Muslim ruler who governed parts of northern India. He was renowned for his patronage of the arts and his commitment to fostering cultural exchange between Hindus and Muslims.
During the 19th century, Anooj Mukherjee was a celebrated Bengali writer and social reformer. He advocated for women's education and played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance movement, which aimed to revive Indian literature and culture.
More recently, Anooj Kapoor was a renowned Indian film director and producer who made significant contributions to the Hindi cinema industry in the late 20th century. He directed several critically acclaimed movies and won numerous awards for his work.
People
Anooj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Anooj 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
Anooj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Anooj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Anooj 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Anooj a common name?
We classify Anooj as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Anooj most popular?
The single biggest year for Anooj was 1990, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Anooj is about 35 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 Anooj in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Anooj a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Anooj 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 Anooj still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Anooj 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 Anooj 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 have the name Anooj?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Anooj, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.