Sehaj
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "effortless, peaceful, and spontaneous".
Name Census estimates that about 474 living Americans carry the first name Sehaj. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 59.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Sehaj today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sehaj births was 2017 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sehaj. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Sehaj with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
474
~ 1 in 723,110 Americans
Peak year
2017
46 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,912
Tracked since 2004
Gender
Gender distribution for Sehaj
Sehaj is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 477 total registrations, 195 (40.9%) were male and 282 (59.1%) were female.
Sehaj as a male name
- Ranked #8,821 in 2024
- 9 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (16 births)
Sehaj as a female name
- Ranked #5,912 in 2024
- 21 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (33 births)
Popularity
Sehaj: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sehaj from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 293 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Sehaj remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sehaj 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 Sehaj during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sehajs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Washington, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Sehaj, while New York, New Jersey, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 47 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sehaj
The name Sehaj originates from the Punjabi language spoken in the Indian subcontinent. It has its roots in the Sikh tradition and is derived from the Sanskrit word "sahaj" which means "natural" or "simple." The name gained prominence during the 16th and 17th centuries in the Sikhism teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, and subsequent Sikh gurus.
The name Sehaj is mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism, where it is used to describe the state of being in harmony with the divine and living a life of spiritual contentment and simplicity. The concept of "Sehaj" is central to Sikh philosophy and emphasizes the importance of leading a balanced and virtuous life.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Sehaj can be found in the writings of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, who lived from 1563 to 1606. He composed several hymns and verses that included the term "Sehaj" and expounded on its spiritual significance.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sehaj. One such person was Sehaj Kaur (1912-1999), a renowned Punjabi folk singer and activist who played a significant role in promoting the cultural heritage of Punjab. Another notable figure was Sehaj Singh Virk (1913-1982), an Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of various Indian states.
In the realm of literature, Sehaj Kaur Bhatia (1915-2006) was a celebrated Punjabi writer and poet who received numerous accolades for her contributions to Punjabi literature. Sehaj Singh Siraj (1937-2019) was a prominent Sikh scholar and historian who authored several books on Sikh history and philosophy.
The name Sehaj has also been carried by contemporary figures, such as Sehaj Preet, an Indian actress and model known for her work in Punjabi films and television series.
People
Sehaj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sehaj 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
Sehaj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sehaj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 474 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sehaj 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 723,110 US residents.
Is Sehaj a common name?
We classify Sehaj as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 477 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sehaj most popular?
The single biggest year for Sehaj was 2017, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sehaj is about 9 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 Sehaj in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sehaj a female name?
Yes, 59.1% of people registered as Sehaj 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.
Is Sehaj still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sehaj 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 Sehaj 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 Sehaj?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Sehaj at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.