Gursehaj
A name of Indian origin meaning "lion prince" or "brave lion".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Gursehaj. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gursehaj today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gursehaj births was 2018 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gursehaj. 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 Gursehaj with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gursehaj. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2018
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,307
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Gursehaj: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gursehaj 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 6 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
Gursehaj 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 Gursehaj during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gursehaj
The name Gursehaj has its origins in the Punjabi language, spoken primarily in the Indian state of Punjab and the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is a name derived from the Sikh tradition, which emerged in the 15th century in the region of Punjab.
Gursehaj is a compound name, formed by combining two words from the Punjabi language – "Gur" and "Sehaj." The word "Gur" means "teacher" or "spiritual guide," and it is often used to refer to the Sikh Gurus, the ten revered spiritual leaders of Sikhism. The word "Sehaj" signifies "peace," "tranquility," or "equipoise."
The name Gursehaj is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century, during the time of the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606). Guru Arjan Dev is credited with compiling the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, which later became known as the Guru Granth Sahib.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Gursehaj can be traced back to the 17th century, during the time of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-1675). Guru Tegh Bahadur is revered for his sacrifices in upholding the principles of religious freedom and human rights.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gursehaj, including Gursehaj Singh Dhillon (1772-1843), a prominent Sikh warrior and leader who played a significant role in the Punjab region during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Another notable figure was Gursehaj Singh Brar (1907-1972), a Sikh politician and freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
Gursehaj Singh Sandhanwalia (1751-1844) was a renowned Sikh scholar and poet who authored numerous literary works, including the "Gur Nanak Prakash," a biography of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev. Gursehaj Singh Khalsa (1897-1977) was a revered Sikh preacher and spiritual leader who played a crucial role in spreading the teachings of Sikhism across the world.
Another notable figure was Gursehaj Kaur Bhullar (1936-2011), a Punjabi folk singer and actress who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Punjabi culture and traditions through her artistic works.
People
Gursehaj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gursehaj 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
Gursehaj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gursehaj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gursehaj 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Gursehaj a common name?
We classify Gursehaj as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gursehaj most popular?
The single biggest year for Gursehaj was 2018, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gursehaj is about 6 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 Gursehaj in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gursehaj a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gursehaj 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 Gursehaj still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gursehaj 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 Gursehaj 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 common is the name Gursehaj?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Gursehaj, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.