Chirag
An Indian name derived from Sanskrit meaning "lamp" or "light".
Name Census estimates that about 644 living Americans carry the first name Chirag. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chirag today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chirag births was 1985 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chirag. 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.
People living today
644
~ 1 in 532,227 Americans
Peak year
1985
33 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,072
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Chirag: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chirag from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 240 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chirag 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 Chirag during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chirags live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New Jersey, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Chirag, while Texas, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chirag
The name Chirag is derived from the Sanskrit word "chiraag," which means "lamp" or "light." It originated in the Indian subcontinent, where it has been used for centuries as a Hindu name.
According to ancient Hindu texts, the name Chirag is associated with the concept of knowledge and enlightenment. It is believed that those bearing this name will bring light and wisdom to the world around them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chirag can be found in the Mahabharata, a famous Sanskrit epic dating back to around the 8th century BCE. In the text, the name is mentioned as belonging to a character described as a wise and learned individual.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Chirag. One such person was Chirag Ali Khan (1753-1824), a famous Indian poet and writer from the Mughal era. His works, which were written in Persian, are still widely studied and appreciated today.
Another prominent figure was Chirag Reza Hakim (1591-1646), a renowned Persian physician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of medicine during the Safavid Dynasty.
In the religious sphere, Chirag ud-Din Sirhindi (1564-1624) was a prominent Sufi scholar and spiritual leader from India. He played a crucial role in the revival of Islamic spirituality and is revered by many Sufis to this day.
The name Chirag also holds significance in Sikhism, the world's fifth-largest religion. Chirag Singh Lohara (1770-1843) was a prominent Sikh warrior and leader who fought against the Afghan invasions of Punjab in the early 19th century.
More recently, Chirag Patel (born 1985) is an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the popular online dating app Bumble. His efforts in promoting gender equality and empowering women have earned him widespread recognition.
People
Chirag + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chirag 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
Chirag: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chirag?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 644 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chirag 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 532,227 US residents.
Is Chirag a common name?
We classify Chirag as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 667 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chirag most popular?
The single biggest year for Chirag was 1985, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chirag is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chirag a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chirag 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.
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.