Prabal
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning powerful, strong, or mighty.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Prabal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Prabal today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Prabal births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Prabal. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Prabal with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Prabal. 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
#13,544
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Prabal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Prabal 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 Prabal 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 Prabal
The name Prabal has its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that is the root of many modern Indian languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "prabala," which means strong, powerful, or forceful. The name can be traced back to ancient India and has been in use for centuries.
In Hindu mythology, Prabal is mentioned as the name of a powerful asura (demon) who fought against the devas (gods). This reference can be found in the Puranas, ancient Hindu texts that narrate stories of the universe's creation, preservation, and destruction.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Prabal comes from the 7th century CE. During this time, there was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet named Prabal who lived in the Pallava kingdom, which was located in present-day Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh regions of India.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Prabal. One such individual was Prabal Ranjan Sen (1901-1982), an Indian politician and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1962 to 1967.
Another famous Prabal was Prabal Kumar Basu (1923-2015), a renowned Indian sculptor and artist. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 2011 for his contributions to the field of art.
In the field of literature, Prabal Dasgupta (1931-2009) was a prominent Bengali author and poet. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honor, in 1996 for his poetry collection "Sreshtha Kabita."
Prabal Mitra (1937-2021) was an influential Indian economist and academician. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta from 1993 to 1999 and was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian awards, in 2009 for his contributions to the field of education.
Prabal Gurung (born 1979) is a renowned Nepali-American fashion designer based in New York City. He has dressed several high-profile celebrities and has made a significant impact in the global fashion industry.
These are just a few examples of prominent individuals who have carried the name Prabal throughout history, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural significance and the strength and power associated with its meaning.
People
Prabal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Prabal 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
Prabal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Prabal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Prabal 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 Prabal a common name?
We classify Prabal 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 Prabal most popular?
The single biggest year for Prabal was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Prabal 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 Prabal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Prabal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Prabal 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 Prabal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Prabal 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 Prabal 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 Americans are named Prabal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.