Boy · #10,889 in 2026

Rahul

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

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.

Current Rank

#10,889

Peak Rank

#818 (2000)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-15%

1966

First Year

2024

Last Year

2000

Peak Year

#818

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rahul

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 Rahul

Rahul first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1966, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 196 Rahuls were born — ranking #818 that year. As of 2026, Rahul ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, falling sharply (-15%). 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

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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.

Rahel
Rahal
Reheel
Riehle
Retool
Ruttle
Rubble
Russell
Rustle
Russel
Raul
Raquel

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rahul

What does the name Rahul mean?

How popular is Rahul in 2026?

In 2026, Rahul ranks #10,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Rahul most popular?

Rahul reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #818 that year with 196 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rahul most popular?

Rahul has historically been most popular in New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rahul.

Is Rahul a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Rahul?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rahul include Elza, Merwin, Merrick. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.