Gurmehar
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "brave defender".
Name Census estimates that about 89 living Americans carry the first name Gurmehar. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Gurmehar today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurmehar births was 2023 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurmehar. 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 Gurmehar with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gurmehar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
89
~ 1 in 3,851,172 Americans
Peak year
2023
18 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2023 SSA rank
#7,019
Tracked since 2017
Gender
Gender distribution for Gurmehar
Gurmehar leans heavily female at 82.2% of total registrations, but 16 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Gurmehar as a male name
- Ranked #11,305 in 2023
- 6 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (6 births)
Gurmehar as a female name
- Ranked #7,019 in 2024
- 16 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (16 births)
Popularity
Gurmehar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurmehar from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 60 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
Gurmehar 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 Gurmehar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurmehars live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurmehar
The name Gurmehar has its roots in the Punjabi language, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a compound word derived from the Sanskrit words "guru," meaning teacher or spiritual guide, and "mehar," meaning grace or blessings. The name essentially translates to "the grace of the guru" or "the blessings of the spiritual teacher."
This name finds its origins in the Sikh tradition, where the concept of the guru holds immense significance. Gurus are revered spiritual leaders who guide their followers on the path of enlightenment and self-realization. The name Gurmehar reflects the profound respect and reverence for the divine wisdom imparted by the gurus.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gurmehar can be traced back to the 16th century, during the time of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru. He composed the seminal text "Adi Granth," which later became the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gurmehar. One of the most famous was Gurmehar Kaur, a prominent Sikh author and poet who lived in the late 19th century (1853-1924). Her literary works, such as "Raj Kaur Kahani" and "Charan Sharan," explored themes of women's empowerment and social reform.
Another prominent figure was Gurmehar Singh (1897-1984), a distinguished Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of Karnataka from 1965 to 1972. He played a crucial role in the development of various educational and agricultural institutions in the state.
In the realm of sports, Gurmehar Singh Khera (born 1984) is a renowned Indian wrestler who has won multiple international medals, including a gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Gurmehar Singh Khurana (1923-2008) was a highly respected Sikh military officer who served in the Indian Army and participated in several major campaigns, including the Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971.
Additionally, Gurmehar Kaur (born 1997) gained public attention as a student activist advocating for peace and non-violence, particularly in the context of the India-Pakistan conflict.
These individuals, spanning different eras and fields, have carried the name Gurmehar with pride, embodying the values of wisdom, spirituality, and grace associated with its meaning.
People
Gurmehar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurmehar 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
Gurmehar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurmehar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 89 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurmehar 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 3,851,172 US residents.
Is Gurmehar a common name?
We classify Gurmehar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurmehar most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurmehar was 2023, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurmehar is about 5 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 Gurmehar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gurmehar a female name?
Yes, 82.2% of people registered as Gurmehar 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.
Is Gurmehar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gurmehar 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 Gurmehar 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 Gurmehar?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Gurmehar at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.