Gurshan
A masculine Punjabi name derived from Sanskrit, meaning "lion's roar".
Name Census estimates that about 200 living Americans carry the first name Gurshan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gurshan today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurshan births was 2005 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurshan. 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
200
~ 1 in 1,713,772 Americans
Peak year
2005
22 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,369
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Gurshan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurshan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 101 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurshan 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 Gurshan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurshans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurshan
The name Gurshan has its origins in the Punjabi language, which is primarily spoken in the Indian state of Punjab and the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is a combination of two words: "Gur," meaning teacher or spiritual guide, and "Shan," meaning glory or honor. The name itself is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the regions where Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in the 15th century, took root.
Historically, the name Gurshan has been associated with Sikh gurus and saints, reflecting the spiritual connotations of its components. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of Bhai Gurdas, a prominent Sikh scholar and poet from the 16th century, who penned sacred hymns and works on Sikh philosophy.
Among the notable figures who bore the name Gurshan throughout history is Gurshan Singh, a revered Sikh warrior and commander who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He played a crucial role in defending the Sikh faith during the tumultuous times of the Mughal Empire's decline and the subsequent rise of the Afghan rulers.
Another prominent figure was Gurshan Singh Grewal, a distinguished Sikh politician and statesman from the 20th century. Born in 1919, he served as a member of the Indian Parliament and held various ministerial positions, contributing significantly to the development of Punjab and the welfare of its people.
In the realm of literature, Gurshan Singh Zaildar, born in 1935, was a renowned Punjabi poet and writer. His works, which explored themes of social justice, human dignity, and the Sikh ethos, earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award.
Gurshan Singh Sarna, born in 1939, was a respected Sikh scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study of Sikhism and Punjabi literature. His extensive body of work, spanning numerous books and articles, shed light on the rich cultural heritage of the Sikh community.
Lastly, Gurshan Singh Rampuri, a contemporary Sikh scholar and historian, has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the teachings of the Sikh gurus. His extensive research and publications have helped revive interest in Sikh history and philosophy among both academics and the general public.
People
Gurshan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurshan 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
Gurshan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurshan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 200 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurshan 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 1,713,772 US residents.
Is Gurshan a common name?
We classify Gurshan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurshan most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurshan was 2005, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurshan is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gurshan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gurshan 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.