Parag
A masculine Hindu name meaning "supreme" or "transcendental".
Name Census estimates that about 187 living Americans carry the first name Parag. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Parag today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Parag births was 1975 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Parag. 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
187
~ 1 in 1,832,911 Americans
Peak year
1975
15 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,773
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Parag: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Parag from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 104 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Parag 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 Parag 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 Parag
The name Parag is derived from the Sanskrit language, which originated in ancient India. It is believed to have originated around the 2nd millennium BCE. The name Parag is composed of two words: 'para' meaning 'supreme' or 'greatest,' and 'ag' meaning 'fire' or 'energy.' Together, the name Parag can be interpreted as 'supreme fire' or 'supreme energy.'
The earliest recorded use of the name Parag can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads. In these texts, the name was often used to refer to powerful deities or revered sages known for their wisdom and spiritual enlightenment.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Parag was a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 8th century CE. Parag was a student of the celebrated Indian philosopher Adi Shankara and is credited with writing several influential treatises on Hindu philosophy and theology.
In the medieval period, the name Parag was associated with several prominent figures in Indian history. One notable example is Parag, a 12th-century Hindu ruler and warrior from the Chauhan dynasty, who is remembered for his bravery and military conquests in present-day Rajasthan.
Another famous bearer of the name Parag was a 16th-century Indian poet and scholar from Bengal. Parag was a prolific writer and is best known for his contributions to the Bengali literary tradition, particularly his works on philosophy and spirituality.
Moving forward in time, the name Parag has been carried by several notable individuals in more recent history. One such figure was Parag Khanna, an Indian-American author and global strategist born in 1977. Khanna is known for his writings on international relations, globalization, and geopolitics.
Another prominent Parag is Parag Parikh, an Indian businessman and investment manager born in 1964. Parikh is the founder and chairman of Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services, a leading investment advisory firm in India.
It is worth noting that while the name Parag has its origins in Sanskrit and Indian culture, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with ties to South Asia. However, the historical and cultural significance of the name remains deeply rooted in its Indian heritage.
People
Parag + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Parag as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Parag: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Parag?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 187 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Parag 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 1,832,911 US residents.
Is Parag a common name?
We classify Parag as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 199 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Parag most popular?
The single biggest year for Parag was 1975, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Parag is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Parag a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Parag 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.