Boy · #10,659 in 2026

Prakash

Name: Popularity of the name Prakash in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Prakash, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Prakash is a common masculine given name and surname in South Asia, widely used in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. The word prakash is derived from the Sanskrit word prakāśa, meaning "bright light" or "sun light" or "moon light" or "light", from a combination of pra meaning "forth" and kāśa meaning "shining." Hence the meaning "luminous; shining forth".

Current Rank

#10,659

Peak Rank

#5,501 (1995)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1972

First Year

2006

Last Year

1995

Peak Year

#5501

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Prakash

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Prakash

Prakash first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1972, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 10 Prakashs were born — ranking #5,501 that year. As of 2026, Prakash ranks #10,659 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 57 Prakashs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Prakash

Phonetically similar names — useful when Prakash is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Priggish
Paraquet
Procol
Brackish
Proxy
Proxi
Proctor
Peckish
Prickle
Procter
Proc
Prok

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Prakash

What does the name Prakash mean?

How popular is Prakash in 2026?

In 2026, Prakash ranks #10,659 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Prakash most popular?

Prakash reached its peak popularity in 1995, ranking #5,501 that year with 10 babies given the name.

Is Prakash a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Prakash is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Prakash?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Prakash include Conal, Juvon, Taray. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Prakash

Prakash is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 57 births in the dataset. Prakash's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #5,501. Use the chart and map above to compare Prakash's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.