Lav
A masculine name meaning "praise" in Sanskrit.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Lav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lav today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lav births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lav. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lav. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,581
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Lav: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lav 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 Lav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lav
The name Lav has its origins in the Persian language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Old Persian word "lavan," which meant "white" or "pure." The name was popular among the ancient Persians, who revered the color white as a symbol of purity and divinity.
In ancient Persian mythology, Lav was the name of a legendary hero who was known for his bravery and purity of heart. This mythological figure was often depicted as a warrior clad in white, representing his unwavering commitment to truth and justice. The name Lav also appears in some of the oldest Persian literary works, such as the Shahnameh, an epic poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the 10th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lav can be found in the inscriptions of the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled over ancient Persia from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE. Several noble Persian figures from this era bore the name Lav, indicating its significance and prestige among the ruling class.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Lav. One such figure was Lav Kundanmal (1768-1835), a prominent Indian merchant and philanthropist from Banaras, who played a crucial role in the development of the city's textile industry and the establishment of educational institutions.
Another notable bearer of the name was Lav Kush (1926-2016), a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. He was instrumental in reviving and popularizing the ancient Indian dance form of Kathak, and his contributions to the art form earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Bhushan award.
In the realm of literature, Lav Diaz (born 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and screenwriter known for his experimental and unconventional approaches to storytelling. His films often explore themes of social injustice and the human condition, and he has received critical acclaim for his work at various international film festivals.
Lav Landsman (1886-1961) was a Russian-born American writer and journalist who played a significant role in the Yiddish literary scene in the early 20th century. He was known for his satirical works and his contributions to the development of Yiddish literature in the United States.
Lav Smirnov (1958-2005) was a Russian chess Grandmaster and author, renowned for his exceptional analytical skills and his contributions to the theory of chess openings. He authored several influential books on chess strategy and was highly respected within the international chess community.
People
Lav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lav 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Lav a common name?
We classify Lav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lav most popular?
The single biggest year for Lav was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lav is about 7 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 Lav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lav 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 Lav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lav 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 Lav 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 Lav?
See how many people have the name Lav on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.