Parshva
A masculine name of Hindu origin meaning "an open or expanded space".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Parshva. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Parshva today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Parshva births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Parshva. 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 Parshva. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#13,526
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Parshva: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Parshva 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 Parshva 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Parshva
The name Parshva has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was predominant in the Indian subcontinent. The word Parshva is derived from the Sanskrit term "parshva," which means "side" or "flank." It is believed to have been in use since ancient times, particularly in Hindu and Jain traditions.
In Jainism, Parshva or Parshvanatha was the 23rd Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) who lived around the 8th century BCE. He is revered as one of the most important figures in Jain history and is said to have attained enlightenment. The name Parshva is closely associated with him and his teachings, which emphasize non-violence, self-discipline, and spiritual liberation.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Parshva can be found in ancient Jain texts, such as the Kalpa Sutra and the Uttaradhyayana Sutra, which date back to around the 3rd century BCE. These texts provide detailed accounts of Parshvanatha's life, teachings, and the significance of his name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Parshva. One of the most famous was Parshva Dhar (1718-1784), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet from India who authored several works on grammar, poetry, and philosophy. Another notable figure was Parshva Nath Shastri (1903-1962), an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
Parshva Nath Sarma (1884-1956) was a prominent Assamese writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the literary and cultural landscape of Assam. Parshva Deva (c. 10th century CE) was a medieval Indian mathematician and astronomer who made notable advancements in the field of trigonometry.
Parshva Nath Tiwari (1899-1971) was an Indian politician and social activist who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1952 to 1957. He played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of marginalized communities and promoting education and social welfare initiatives.
People
Parshva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Parshva 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
Parshva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Parshva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Parshva 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Parshva a common name?
We classify Parshva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Parshva most popular?
The single biggest year for Parshva was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Parshva is about 11 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 Parshva in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Parshva a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Parshva 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 Parshva still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Parshva 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 Parshva 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 many people share the name Parshva?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Parshva at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.