Purab
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "east" or "rising sun".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Purab. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Purab today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Purab births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Purab. 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 Purab. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,548
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Purab: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Purab 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 Purab 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 Purab
The name Purab is derived from the Sanskrit word 'purabh', meaning 'east' or 'direction of the rising sun'. This name has its origins in ancient Indian culture and can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Purab can be found in the sacred Hindu text, the Rigveda, where it is used to refer to the eastern direction or the region from which the sun rises. The name was particularly significant in ancient Indian astronomy and astrology, where the cardinal directions held great importance.
In medieval Indian literature, the name Purab appears in various historical records and chronicles. One notable figure was Purab Deva, a 12th-century ruler of the Solanki dynasty in Gujarat, India (born around 1120 CE). He was known for his patronage of arts and architecture, and several monuments from his reign still stand today.
Another historical figure bearing the name Purab was Purab Singh, a 17th-century Rajput warrior and chieftain from the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, India (born around 1630 CE). He played a significant role in defending his territory against various invading forces and is remembered for his bravery and military prowess.
In the field of literature, Purab Datt was a renowned Hindi poet and writer from the 19th century (born in 1832 CE). He is best known for his poetic works that celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience. His poetry had a significant influence on the Hindi literary tradition of that era.
Purab Krishan was a prominent Indian lawyer and jurist from the 20th century (born in 1901 CE). He served as a judge in the Supreme Court of India and made notable contributions to the development of Indian constitutional law. His legal expertise and judgments are widely respected in the Indian judicial system.
While the name Purab has its roots in ancient Indian culture, it has also been adopted by people of various backgrounds and nationalities, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries. The name's association with the east and the rising sun has given it a symbolic significance, often representing new beginnings, enlightenment, and growth.
People
Purab + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Purab 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
Purab: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Purab?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Purab 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 Purab a common name?
We classify Purab 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 Purab most popular?
The single biggest year for Purab was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Purab 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 Purab in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Purab a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Purab 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 Purab still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Purab 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 Purab 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 are called Purab?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.