Gurkamal
Sanskrit masculine name meaning "lotus of spiritual victory or enlightenment".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gurkamal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gurkamal today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurkamal births was 2000 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurkamal. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Gurkamal with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gurkamal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2000
5 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2000 SSA rank
#10,993
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Gurkamal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurkamal
The name Gurkamal is of Indian origin, specifically from the Punjabi language. It is a combination of two Punjabi words, "Gur" meaning teacher or spiritual guide, and "Kamal" meaning lotus flower. The lotus flower holds significant symbolism in Indian culture, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
Historically, the name Gurkamal was often given to individuals who demonstrated exceptional spiritual wisdom or were closely associated with religious teachings. In the Sikh tradition, the term "Gur" also refers to the ten revered Sikh Gurus, further emphasizing the name's spiritual connotations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gurkamal can be found in the 16th century, when it was borne by Gurkamal Sangat Singh, a prominent Sikh warrior and devotee of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru. Sangat Singh played a crucial role in defending the faith during a period of religious persecution.
Another notable figure with the name Gurkamal was Gurkamal Singh Musafir (1899-1976), a renowned Punjabi poet and writer from British India. His literary works, particularly his poetry collections, explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary, leaving a lasting impact on Punjabi literature.
In more recent history, Gurkamal Sharma (1937-2017) was a prominent Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament, representing the Jalandhar constituency in Punjab.
Gurkamal Singh (1933-2021) was a distinguished Indian hockey player who represented India in the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics, winning a silver and a gold medal, respectively. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players in Indian history and was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award for his outstanding achievements in the sport.
Lastly, Gurkamal Sohal (born 1960) is a Canadian writer and academic of Punjabi descent. Her literary works, including novels and short stories, often explore themes of immigration, cultural identity, and the experiences of the Punjabi diaspora. She has received numerous accolades for her contributions to Canadian literature.
People
Gurkamal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurkamal 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
Gurkamal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurkamal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal a common name?
We classify Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurkamal was 2000, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurkamal is about 26 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 Gurkamal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gurkamal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal 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 Gurkamal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.