Vaibhav
Shining, radiant, splendid, magnificent, or lustrous.
Name Census estimates that about 571 living Americans carry the first name Vaibhav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vaibhav today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vaibhav births was 2011 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vaibhav. 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
571
~ 1 in 600,270 Americans
Peak year
2011
44 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,678
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Vaibhav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vaibhav from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 242 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
Vaibhav 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 Vaibhav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vaibhavs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Vaibhav, while Texas, New Jersey, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 36 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vaibhav
The name Vaibhav has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the root word "vibhav," which means "glory," "prosperity," or "splendor." The name Vaibhav is believed to have emerged during the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE, when Sanskrit was the primary language of various Hindu scriptures and texts.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Vaibhav can be found in the Mahabharata, a renowned Hindu epic poem composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In the text, the name is mentioned in the context of describing the majesty and grandeur of various deities and kings.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Vaibhav. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Vaibhav Suri, a Jain scholar and philosopher who lived in the 6th century CE. He is renowned for his contributions to the Jain literature and for his commentaries on various religious texts.
Another prominent figure with the name Vaibhav was Vaibhav Mishra, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 15th century CE. He authored several literary works and was highly regarded for his mastery of Sanskrit language and literature.
In the realm of spirituality, Vaibhav Purandaradasa was a prominent Haridasa, a devotional singer-saint from the 16th century CE. He composed numerous devotional songs in the Kannada language, which are still widely sung and revered in parts of South India.
Moving forward in time, Vaibhav Dattatraya Bhave was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1824 to 1892. He actively participated in the Indian independence movement and worked towards the eradication of social evils like untouchability and the promotion of education.
In more recent history, Vaibhav Nanavati was an Indian naval officer who gained widespread attention for his controversial trial in the 1950s. He was accused of murdering his wife's lover, a case that sparked debates around the concept of honor killings and the legal system in India.
The name Vaibhav continues to be popular in various parts of India, particularly among Hindu communities. It is often chosen for its auspicious meaning and association with prosperity and grandeur, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Sanskrit language.
People
Vaibhav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vaibhav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vaibhav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vaibhav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 571 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vaibhav 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 600,270 US residents.
Is Vaibhav a common name?
We classify Vaibhav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 577 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vaibhav most popular?
The single biggest year for Vaibhav was 2011, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vaibhav is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vaibhav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vaibhav 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.
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.