Sparsh
A masculine name of Hindi origin meaning "touch" or "tactile experience".
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the first name Sparsh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sparsh today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sparsh births was 2016 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sparsh. 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 Sparsh with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
180
~ 1 in 1,904,191 Americans
Peak year
2016
21 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,048
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Sparsh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sparsh 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 115 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sparsh 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 Sparsh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sparsh
The name Sparsh has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been a primary language of culture and religion in the Indian subcontinent for several millennia. Sparsh is derived from the Sanskrit word "sparsha," which means "touch" or "contact." The name itself carries a connotation of sensitivity, awareness, and connection with the physical world around us.
In Hindu mythology, the concept of "sparsha" is closely tied to the idea of the five senses, which are celebrated as gateways to experiencing the divine within the material realm. The name Sparsh was likely given to individuals as a reminder of the importance of being present, mindful, and attuned to the world around them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sparsh can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata. In this epic, there is a character named Sparsha, who was a sage renowned for his wisdom and spiritual attainment. This reference dates back to around the 8th century BCE, indicating the name's long-standing presence in Indian culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Sparsh. One such figure was Sparsh Ratan Nath (1892-1976), an Indian freedom fighter, and political leader who played a significant role in the struggle for India's independence from British rule. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and served as the president of the Indian National Congress in 1936.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Sparsh Chandra Bose (1897-1945), an Indian revolutionary and founder of the Indian National Army, which fought alongside the Axis powers during World War II to liberate India from British colonial rule. Despite his controversial methods, Bose remains an iconic figure in Indian history.
In the realm of literature, Sparsh Chander (1914-2007) was a renowned Punjabi writer, poet, and playwright. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Punjabi literature and was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1955 for his literary contributions.
Sparsh Nath Tiwari (1925-2018) was an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, on two occasions. He was also a member of the Indian National Congress party and played a significant role in the country's political landscape.
Lastly, Sparsh Kumar Ganguly (1933-1999) was an eminent Indian sculptor and artist known for his innovative and avant-garde works. His sculptures have been exhibited in various prestigious galleries and museums around the world, and he is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian sculpture.
People
Sparsh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sparsh 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
Sparsh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sparsh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 180 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sparsh 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 1,904,191 US residents.
Is Sparsh a common name?
We classify Sparsh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 182 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sparsh most popular?
The single biggest year for Sparsh was 2016, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sparsh is about 14 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 Sparsh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sparsh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sparsh 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 Sparsh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sparsh 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 Sparsh 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 Sparsh?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Sparsh at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.