Rahul
Rahul is a popular male name in India and may be derived from the name Rahula, the name given to the son of the Buddha according to certain Buddhist traditions. The name Rahula in turn is derived from the name Rahu, a Hindu mythological figure that causes eclipses.
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Bengali
- Assamese
Meaning & Origin of Rahul
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rahul is a popular male name in India and may be derived from the name Rahula, the name given to the son of the Buddha according to certain Buddhist traditions. The name Rahula in turn is derived from the name Rahu, a Hindu mythological figure that causes eclipses.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Bengali
- Assamese
- Odia
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
- Malayalam
- Tamil
- Kannada
- Telugu
The Story of Rahul
The earliest SSA record of Rahul as a baby boy name dates back to 1966, when 5 babies received it. 2000 was its biggest year on record, with 196 newborns named Rahul — #818 in the national rankings. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 41% of all recorded Rahuls. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 3K Rahuls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Rahul
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rahul is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rahul
What does the name Rahul mean?
What is the origin of the name Rahul?
How popular is Rahul in 2026?
When was Rahul most popular?
In which U.S. states is Rahul most popular?
Is Rahul a unisex name?
What names go well with Rahul?
About the name Rahul
Rahul is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1966 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Rahul's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #818. Use the chart and map above to compare Rahul's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- 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.