Prakash
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".
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Kannada
- Tamil
Meaning & Origin of Prakash
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
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".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Kannada
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Malayalam
- Gujarati
- Bengali
- Odia
- Nepali
The Story of Prakash
American parents first put Prakash on the record books as a baby boy name in 1972, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 10 Prakashs were born — ranking #5,501 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 40% of all recorded Prakashs. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2006 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. 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
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
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How popular is Prakash in 2026?
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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
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.