Vinayak
Lord of the Ganas (Hindu demi-gods) or remover of obstacles.
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the first name Vinayak. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vinayak today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vinayak births was 2000 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vinayak. 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
158
~ 1 in 2,169,331 Americans
Peak year
2000
10 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,782
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Vinayak: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vinayak from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 62 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Vinayak remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vinayak 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 Vinayak during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vinayaks live
Origin
Meaning and history of Vinayak
The name Vinayak is of Hindu origin, derived from the Sanskrit language. It is a compound word formed by combining the terms "vinaya" meaning "respect" or "modesty" and "aak" meaning "lord" or "master." The name, therefore, translates to "Lord of Modesty" or "Respected Master."
Vinayak is one of the many names associated with the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god revered as the remover of obstacles and the patron of arts, sciences, and wisdom. The name finds its earliest mentions in ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Puranas and the Vedas, where Lord Ganesha is extensively described and praised.
The earliest recorded use of the name Vinayak can be traced back to the 5th century CE, during the Gupta Empire period in ancient India. Several historical records and inscriptions from this era mention the name in reference to Lord Ganesha.
Throughout history, the name Vinayak has been associated with a few notable individuals. One of the earliest was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a renowned Indian independence activist, freedom fighter, and philosopher who lived from 1883 to 1966. Another prominent figure was Vinayak Narayan Bhatt, a celebrated Indian mathematician and scholar from the 7th century CE, who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook Vinayak Damodar Karve, a prominent Marathi writer, social reformer, and educator who lived from 1858 to 1962. His literary works and efforts towards promoting women's education left a lasting impact on Indian society.
The name Vinayak has also been borne by spiritual leaders, such as Vinayak Sadashiv Vyas, a renowned Hindu guru and founder of the Vyas Peeth ashram in Maharashtra, who lived from 1892 to 1963. His teachings and writings on spirituality and yoga continue to influence many.
Vinayak Naresh Chandra Dutta, an Indian jurist and politician from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was another notable figure who carried this name. He served as a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council and played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
People
Vinayak + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vinayak 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
Vinayak: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vinayak?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 158 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vinayak 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 2,169,331 US residents.
Is Vinayak a common name?
We classify Vinayak as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 160 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vinayak most popular?
The single biggest year for Vinayak was 2000, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vinayak is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vinayak a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vinayak 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.