Guhan
A masculine name of Indian origin, meaning "one who is beyond praise".
Name Census estimates that about 153 living Americans carry the first name Guhan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Guhan today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Guhan births was 2024 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Guhan. 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
153
~ 1 in 2,240,224 Americans
Peak year
2024
15 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,978
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Guhan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Guhan 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 93 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Guhan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Guhan 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 Guhan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Guhans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Guhan
The name Guhan has its origins in the Tamil language, which is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "guha," which means "cave" or "cavern."
In Hindu mythology, the word "guha" is associated with the sage Agastya, who is said to have resided in the Vindhya mountain ranges. The name Guhan is believed to have been used to refer to those who lived in or around caves, particularly ascetics and hermits.
The earliest recorded use of the name Guhan can be traced back to ancient Tamil literature, such as the Sangam poetry, which dates back to the early centuries of the Common Era. In these works, the name is often mentioned in the context of sages and hermits who lived in the forests and mountains of the region.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Guhan was Guhan Samba, a 17th-century Tamil poet and composer who is renowned for his contributions to the Carnatic music tradition. He was born in 1615 in the town of Thanjavur and is credited with composing several kritis (musical compositions) that are still widely performed today.
Another notable Guhan was Guhan Siddhar, a Tamil Siddhar (mystic) who is believed to have lived in the 9th or 10th century CE. He is revered in the Tamil Siddha tradition for his contributions to the field of alchemy and his spiritual teachings.
In the 14th century, there was a Tamil scholar and poet named Guhan Aravamudaiyan, who is best known for his commentary on the Tamil grammatical treatise, Nannul. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the study of Tamil grammar and literature.
Another notable figure with the name Guhan was Guhan Bhaskaran, an Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 12th century CE. He is known for his work on the calculation of planetary positions and his contributions to the field of astronomy.
Lastly, Guhan Vaidyanathan was a prominent Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived in the 20th century. He was instrumental in reviving and popularizing the Bharatanatyam dance form and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the field of Indian classical dance.
People
Guhan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Guhan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Guhan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Guhan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 153 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Guhan 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 2,240,224 US residents.
Is Guhan a common name?
We classify Guhan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 154 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Guhan most popular?
The single biggest year for Guhan was 2024, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Guhan is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Guhan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Guhan 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.