Sanjana
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning 'evening prayer'.
Name Census estimates that about 2,148 living Americans carry the first name Sanjana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sanjana today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sanjana births was 2003 (168 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sanjana. 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
2.1K
~ 1 in 159,569 Americans
Peak year
2003
168 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,208
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Sanjana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sanjana from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,336 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
Sanjana 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 Sanjana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sanjanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Sanjana, while North Carolina, Missouri, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 69 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sanjana
The name Sanjana has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have emerged during the ancient Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.
The name Sanjana is derived from the Sanskrit word "sanjana," which means "born at dusk" or "twilight-born." This suggests that the name may have been given to children born during the twilight hours, a time considered auspicious in Hindu tradition.
In Hindu mythology, Sanjana is also associated with the goddess Sanjna, who is revered as the embodiment of divine knowledge and wisdom. This connection lends a spiritual significance to the name, making it a popular choice among Hindu families.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sanjana can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In the epic, Sanjana is the name of a character who appears in the Adi Parva, one of the longest books of the Mahabharata.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sanjana. One of the earliest was Sanjana Zeylandin (1074-1153 CE), a renowned Persian poet and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of literature and philosophy.
Another famous Sanjana was Sanjana Devi (1495-1562 CE), a queen of the Mughal Empire who was known for her patronage of the arts and her philanthropic efforts. She commissioned the construction of several monuments and educational institutions during her reign.
In more recent times, Sanjana Kapoor (born 1983) is an Indian actress and model who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and television shows. She is also known for her work in promoting environmental causes and her advocacy for animal rights.
Sanjana Ramphal (1945-2009) was a prominent South African activist and politician who played a crucial role in the anti-apartheid movement. She served as the Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations and was a vocal advocate for human rights and social justice.
Sanjana Hattotuwa (born 1977) is a Sri Lankan researcher and activist who has worked extensively in the field of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D). She has been recognized for her contributions to promoting digital rights and internet freedom in South Asia.
While these are just a few examples, the name Sanjana has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each leaving their mark on history through their achievements and contributions to society.
People
Sanjana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sanjana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sanjana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sanjana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sanjana 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 159,569 US residents.
Is Sanjana a common name?
We classify Sanjana as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,180 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sanjana most popular?
The single biggest year for Sanjana was 2003, when 168 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sanjana is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sanjana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sanjana in the SSA data are female. 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.