Prayas
A Hindi name meaning "effort" or "endeavor".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Prayas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Prayas today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Prayas births was 2014 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Prayas. 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 Prayas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2014
6 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#11,778
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Prayas: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Prayas 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 Prayas 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Prayas
The name Prayas has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The name can be traced back to the Sanskrit word "prayas," which means "effort" or "endeavor." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who were seen as hardworking, determined, or persistent.
Prayas is a relatively uncommon name, and its earliest recorded use is difficult to pinpoint with certainty. However, it is believed to have been in use during the ancient Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. This period saw the composition of the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism and are considered among the earliest known literature in the world.
In the centuries that followed, the name Prayas appears to have been used sparingly, though there are a few notable historical figures who bore this name. One such individual was Prayas, a Sanskrit scholar and grammarian who lived in the 7th century CE during the Gupta Empire period. He is known for his work on the Sanskrit language, including his commentary on the famous grammar treatise "Ashtadhyayi" by Panini.
Another notable figure with the name Prayas was a Hindu philosopher and spiritual teacher who lived in the 12th century CE. He is believed to have been a disciple of the renowned philosopher Ramanuja and played a significant role in the propagation of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, which emphasizes the unity of the individual soul with the divine.
In more recent history, there have been a few individuals named Prayas who have gained recognition in various fields. One such person was Prayas Abhinav, an Indian writer and journalist who was born in 1965. He is known for his novels and short stories that explore themes of identity, culture, and social issues in contemporary India.
Another notable figure with the name Prayas was Prayas Sharma, a renowned Indian classical dancer who was born in 1948. She was a highly acclaimed exponent of the Kathak dance form and was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 2001 for her contributions to the field of dance.
While the name Prayas is not as common as some other Sanskrit-derived names, it holds a rich historical and cultural significance, representing qualities such as perseverance, hard work, and determination. The individuals mentioned above serve as examples of the diverse fields in which people with this name have made their mark throughout history.
People
Prayas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Prayas 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
Prayas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Prayas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Prayas 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Prayas a common name?
We classify Prayas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Prayas most popular?
The single biggest year for Prayas was 2014, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Prayas is about 12 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 Prayas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Prayas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Prayas 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 Prayas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Prayas 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 Prayas 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 common is the name Prayas?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.