Rajesh
An Indian masculine given name derived from Sanskrit meaning "king" or "ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 642 living Americans carry the first name Rajesh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rajesh today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rajesh births was 1976 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rajesh. 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
642
~ 1 in 533,885 Americans
Peak year
1976
43 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2013 SSA rank
#11,820
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Rajesh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rajesh from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 319 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rajesh 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 Rajesh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rajeshs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, California, Indiana recorded the most babies named Rajesh, while Texas, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rajesh
The name Rajesh originates from the Sanskrit language and has its roots in ancient Indian culture. It is a compound name derived from the words "raja" meaning "king" and "isha" meaning "lord" or "master." Together, the name Rajesh signifies "lord of kings" or "king of kings."
In Hindu mythology, the name Rajesh can be found in various sacred texts and scriptures. One notable reference is in the Ramayana, where Rajesh is mentioned as a name for the Hindu deity Rama, who is revered as the epitome of righteousness and an incarnation of the god Vishnu.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Rajesh can be traced back to the ancient Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was the predominant language. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin and first usage due to the limited historical records from that era.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Rajesh. One of the earliest known individuals was Rajesh Chandra Dutt (1848-1909), a prominent Indian writer, and scholar who contributed significantly to the Bengali literary renaissance of the 19th century.
Another prominent figure was Rajesh Khanna (1942-2012), an iconic Bollywood actor widely regarded as the first superstar of Indian cinema. He was a recipient of numerous accolades, including the prestigious Filmfare Awards, and his films were instrumental in shaping the landscape of Hindi cinema.
Rajesh Pilot (1945-2000) was an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party. He served as the Union Minister of Internal Security and held various other portfolios during his political career.
In the field of science, Rajesh Gopakumar (1971-2021) was an esteemed Indian theoretical physicist known for his contributions to string theory and quantum gravity. He received several prestigious awards, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and the Infosys Prize.
Another noteworthy figure is Rajesh Khurana (born 1967), an Indian-American academic who currently serves as the President of Harvard University. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of organizational behavior and leadership development.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Rajesh throughout history. The name continues to be popular in various parts of the world, particularly in India and among the Indian diaspora, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural significance and historical legacy.
People
Rajesh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rajesh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rajesh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rajesh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 642 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rajesh 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 533,885 US residents.
Is Rajesh a common name?
We classify Rajesh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 683 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rajesh most popular?
The single biggest year for Rajesh was 1976, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rajesh is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rajesh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rajesh 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.