Ujjwal
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "bright" or "luminous."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ujjwal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ujjwal today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ujjwal births was 2012 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ujjwal. 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 Ujjwal with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ujjwal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2012
5 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#14,096
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Ujjwal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal
The name Ujjwal is derived from the Sanskrit language, which originated in ancient India. Its roots can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE. The word 'Ujjwal' is composed of the Sanskrit words 'ud' meaning 'up' or 'out' and 'jwal' meaning 'to blaze' or 'to shine'. Thus, the name Ujjwal signifies something that is radiant, brilliant, or shining brightly.
One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the ancient Hindu scripture, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there is a character named Ujjwala, who was a warrior and a skilled archer. This suggests that the name was in use during the epic period of Indian history.
Throughout Indian history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ujjwal. One of the earliest was Ujjwal Dutta, a Hindu scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century CE. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of Vedanta, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.
Another prominent figure was Ujjwal Singh, a Rajput king who ruled over the princely state of Rewa in central India during the 18th century. He was known for his military prowess and for expanding the territory under his control.
In more recent times, Ujjwal Rana was an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule in the early 20th century. He was a member of the Indian National Congress and worked alongside leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Ujjwal Nikam is a highly respected Indian jurist and public prosecutor who has been involved in several high-profile cases in India. He is known for his sharp legal acumen and for his efforts to uphold justice and the rule of law.
Ujjwal Bhattacharya is a renowned Indian classical singer and composer who has made significant contributions to the Hindustani classical music tradition. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his performances and compositions.
The name Ujjwal continues to be a popular name in India and other parts of the world with Indian diaspora communities. Its meaning and association with radiance, brilliance, and light have made it a cherished name across generations.
People
Ujjwal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ujjwal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ujjwal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ujjwal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal a common name?
We classify Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal most popular?
The single biggest year for Ujjwal was 2012, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ujjwal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ujjwal 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 Ujjwal 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 are called Ujjwal?
You can see how many people have the name Ujjwal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.