Raj

Did you know?

A few things about Raj you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Raj

Raj Kapoor

Indian actor and filmmaker (1924–1988)

Choose Raj and your child shares a first name with Raj Kapoor, an Indian actor and filmmaker. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Raj, like who?” Raj Kapoor's Wikipedia article is available in 78 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Raj Kapoor on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Artem Abd, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 77,519 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Raj, 22 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Raj would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRaj first shows up in US birth records in 1950, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 75 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 2003, when it ranked #1,478. Today it's #4,539, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowRaj was 3.0× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 25,840 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 77,519.
• 🍂TrendRaj has slipped 264 places over the last five years and now sits at #4,539. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningIn Sanskrit, Raj means “king, rule”.

About the name Raj

Raj is a boy name meaning “king, rule”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-raj”. US birth records list Raj for boys from 1950 to 2025, in 65 of those 76 years. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked #1,478 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #4,539, with 22 babies.