Pratham
The first or foremost, a Sanskrit name with connotations of primacy and excellence.
Name Census estimates that about 433 living Americans carry the first name Pratham. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pratham today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pratham births was 2002 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pratham. 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
433
~ 1 in 791,580 Americans
Peak year
2002
39 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,128
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Pratham: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pratham from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 220 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pratham 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 Pratham during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Prathams live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. New Jersey, New York, California recorded the most babies named Pratham, while Texas, Illinois, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pratham
The name Pratham is derived from the Sanskrit language and has its roots in ancient Indian culture. The word "Pratham" means "first" or "foremost" in Sanskrit, suggesting that this name was likely given to firstborn sons or those considered exceptional or distinguished.
In Hindu mythology, Pratham is mentioned as an epithet for various deities, such as Brahma, the creator god, and Agni, the god of fire. The name is also found in ancient Hindu texts, including the Vedas and the Puranas, indicating its widespread use in ancient Indian society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pratham dates back to the 6th century BCE, when it was used by a renowned Indian philosopher and grammarian, Pratham Panini. Panini is credited with formulating the rules of Sanskrit grammar and is considered the father of linguistics in India.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Pratham. One such individual was Pratham Gupta, a ruler of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE, known for his patronage of arts and literature. Another was Pratham Suri, a Jain monk and scholar who lived in the 10th century CE and authored several influential works on Jainism.
In the realm of literature, Pratham Kalidas was a celebrated Sanskrit poet and dramatist who lived in the 4th-5th century CE. His works, such as the epic poem "Raghuvamsha" and the play "Abhijnanashakuntalam," are considered masterpieces of Indian literature.
More recently, Pratham was the name of a pioneering Indian educator and social activist, Pratham Masani, who lived from 1892 to 1988. He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and advocating for social reforms in India during the 20th century.
Another notable figure with the name Pratham was Pratham Chandra Bhattacharya, a renowned Indian physicist born in 1936. He made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1986.
People
Pratham + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pratham 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
Pratham: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pratham?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 433 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pratham 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 791,580 US residents.
Is Pratham a common name?
We classify Pratham as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 437 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pratham most popular?
The single biggest year for Pratham was 2002, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pratham is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pratham a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pratham 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.