Chaitan
An Indian masculine name meaning "pure consciousness" or "awakened".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Chaitan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chaitan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chaitan births was 2012 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chaitan. 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 Chaitan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2012
6 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#11,026
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Chaitan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Chaitan 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 Chaitan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Chaitan
The name Chaitan has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that first emerged in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "chaitanya," which means "consciousness" or "awareness."
In Hindu philosophy, chaitanya is a fundamental concept that refers to the intrinsic consciousness or sentience present in all living beings. The name Chaitan is believed to have been first used by Hindu sages and scholars as a reference to this state of heightened awareness and spiritual enlightenment.
The earliest recorded use of the name Chaitan can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, where it is mentioned in the context of spiritual awakening and self-realization. These texts, which date back to around the 8th century BCE, are considered among the most influential philosophical works in Indian history.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Chaitan was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533), a renowned Hindu mystic and spiritual leader who founded the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. He is revered as an avatar (incarnation) of Lord Krishna and played a pivotal role in the Bhakti movement, which emphasized devotional worship and love for the divine.
Another famous Chaitan was Chaitan Sharma (1699-1769), a renowned Indian poet and writer from the Mughal era. He is best known for his collection of devotional poems and spiritual verses, which have been widely studied and celebrated for their profound insights and literary merit.
In the field of science, Chaitan Bose (1858-1923) was an Indian physicist and biologist who made significant contributions to the study of plant physiology and the phenomenon of life. He conducted groundbreaking experiments on the electrical response of plants, which laid the foundation for the field of plant biophysics.
Chaitan Khanna (1917-1997) was a celebrated Indian writer and playwright who gained recognition for his works exploring social and political themes. His plays, such as "Gali Gali Chor Hai" and "Baki Itihaas," were widely acclaimed for their sharp commentary on contemporary issues and their portrayal of human emotions.
Chaitan Bharti (1923-2003) was an Indian poet and essayist who wrote extensively in Hindi and Urdu. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Hindi literature and was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for his poetry collection "Aapka Banti."
People
Chaitan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chaitan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chaitan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chaitan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chaitan 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 Chaitan a common name?
We classify Chaitan 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 Chaitan most popular?
The single biggest year for Chaitan was 2012, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chaitan is about 14 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 Chaitan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chaitan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chaitan 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 Chaitan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chaitan 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 Chaitan 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 called Chaitan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.