Swar
A Hindi name derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "sound" or "voice".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Swar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Swar today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Swar births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Swar. 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 Swar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,835
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Swar: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Swar 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 Swar 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 Swar
The name Swar is of Sanskrit origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. It first appeared in Hindu scriptures and texts dating back to the 1st millennium BCE. In Sanskrit, the word "swar" is believed to be derived from the root "svar," which means "sound" or "tone."
One of the earliest known references to the name Swar can be found in the Vedas, a collection of sacred Hindu texts that form the foundation of the religion. These texts, composed between 1500 and 500 BCE, contain hymns and mantras that were chanted during rituals and ceremonies. The name Swar was associated with the concept of the "celestial sound" or the "divine vibration" that permeated the universe.
During the classical period of Indian history, between the 3rd century BCE and the 8th century CE, the name Swar gained further significance in Hindu mythology and philosophy. It was linked to the concept of "Nada Brahma," which translates to "sound as the ultimate reality." In this context, Swar represented the primordial sound from which all creation emerged.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Swar was Swar Sundari, a renowned female poet and philosopher who lived in the 7th century CE. Her works explored the concepts of divine sound and the spiritual significance of music and chanting.
In the 12th century CE, a notable figure named Swar Prabha, a Hindu sage and mystic, gained recognition for his teachings on the power of sound and its relationship to personal and spiritual growth.
During the Mughal era, which spanned from the 16th to the 19th century, the name Swar was also used by individuals from the royal and aristocratic classes. Swar Malika, a prominent courtier and advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar, was known for her intellectual prowess and contributions to the arts and culture of the time.
In the realm of classical Indian music, the name Swar has held a significant place. Swar Saraswati, a renowned vocalist and composer of the 18th century, was celebrated for her mastery of the intricate ragas and her ability to convey the spiritual essence of music through her performances.
Throughout its long history, the name Swar has carried a deep connection to the concepts of sound, vibration, and the universal principles of creation and harmony. Its ancient Sanskrit origins and enduring presence in various cultural and artistic traditions have imbued it with a rich tapestry of meaning and significance.
People
Swar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Swar 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
Swar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Swar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Swar 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 Swar a common name?
We classify Swar 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 Swar most popular?
The single biggest year for Swar was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Swar is about 8 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 Swar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Swar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Swar 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 Swar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Swar 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 Swar 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 have the name Swar?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Swar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.