Gurbani
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning divine word or sacred scripture.
Name Census estimates that about 145 living Americans carry the first name Gurbani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gurbani today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurbani births was 2024 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurbani. 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
145
~ 1 in 2,363,823 Americans
Peak year
2024
16 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,018
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Gurbani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurbani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 68 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurbani 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 Gurbani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurbanis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurbani
The name Gurbani has its origins in the Punjabi language spoken predominantly in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. The name is derived from the words "Gur" meaning teacher or spiritual guide, and "Bani" meaning utterance, word, or speech. Thus, the name Gurbani translates to "the word or speech of the guru."
This name finds its roots in the Sikh religion, which emerged in the 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. The Sikh gurus, who were the spiritual leaders and teachers of the faith, imparted their wisdom and teachings through their spoken and written words, known as Gurbani. The Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism, is a compilation of these Gurbani teachings from the ten Sikh gurus and other revered saints and poets.
One of the earliest recorded references to the term Gurbani can be found in the writings of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, who lived from 1469 to 1539. In his compositions, he emphasized the importance of imbibing and living by the Gurbani, which he considered the true path to spiritual enlightenment and union with the divine.
Throughout the history of Sikhism, several prominent Sikh figures have carried the name Gurbani. One such figure was Gurbani Kaur (1542-1628), a devoted disciple of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru. She played a significant role in the construction of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, one of the most revered Sikh shrines.
Another notable individual with the name Gurbani was Gurbani Singh (1716-1789), a Sikh warrior and military commander who served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. He was known for his bravery and strategic prowess in various battles against the Afghans and Mughals.
In more recent times, Gurbani Arora (1914-1995) was a distinguished Indian classical singer and exponent of the Khayal style of Hindustani music. She was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor, in recognition of her contributions to the field of music.
Gurbani Gill, born in 1986, is a Canadian actress and model of Indian descent. She has appeared in several Punjabi films and television shows, showcasing her talent and representing her cultural heritage on the global stage.
People
Gurbani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurbani 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
Gurbani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurbani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurbani 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 2,363,823 US residents.
Is Gurbani a common name?
We classify Gurbani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurbani most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurbani was 2024, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurbani is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gurbani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gurbani in the SSA data are female. 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.