Neeraj
Of Sanskrit origin meaning "pure, virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 315 living Americans carry the first name Neeraj. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Neeraj today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neeraj births was 1980 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neeraj. 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
315
~ 1 in 1,088,109 Americans
Peak year
1980
14 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,764
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Neeraj: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neeraj from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 88 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Neeraj remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neeraj 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 Neeraj during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Neerajs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Neeraj
The name Neeraj has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indian language that dates back thousands of years. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "nir" meaning "without" and "raj" meaning "dust" or "impurity." Thus, the name Neeraj can be interpreted to mean "one who is free from impurities" or "pure."
The name Neeraj has been mentioned in various ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas. It is believed to have been used as a name for boys in ancient India, particularly among the Brahmin community, which was known for its emphasis on spiritual purity and knowledge.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Neeraj can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In the Mahabharata, there is a character named Neeraj who was a skilled warrior and a loyal friend of the Pandava princes.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Neeraj. One of the most famous was Neeraj Chopra, an Indian javelin thrower who won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was born in 1997 and hails from the state of Haryana, India.
Another notable Neeraj was Neeraj Kabi, an Indian actor known for his work in both film and theater. He was born in 1967 and has appeared in several critically acclaimed movies, including "Talvar" and "Byomkesh Bakshi."
In the field of literature, Neeraj Ghaywan is a renowned Indian film director and screenwriter. He made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed film "Masaan" in 2015, which won several awards and accolades both nationally and internationally.
Neeraj Pandey is another prominent figure, known for his work as an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He has directed several successful Bollywood films, including "A Wednesday," "Special 26," and "Baby."
Neeraj Chopra, the cricketer, was an Indian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Punjab and represented India in several Test matches and One Day Internationals in the 1980s and 1990s. He was born in 1961 and is considered one of the finest left-arm spinners in Indian cricket history.
People
Neeraj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neeraj as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Neeraj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neeraj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 315 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neeraj 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 1,088,109 US residents.
Is Neeraj a common name?
We classify Neeraj as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 327 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neeraj most popular?
The single biggest year for Neeraj was 1980, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neeraj is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Neeraj a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neeraj 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.