Raj
Raj in different contexts means "rule", "king", "ruler", "emperor" or "royalty" and "power" in the Sanskrit language families of the Indian sub-continent, including Romanes, its closest Indo-European relative.
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Bengali
- Punjabi
Meaning & Origin of Raj
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raj in different contexts means "rule", "king", "ruler", "emperor" or "royalty" and "power" in the Sanskrit language families of the Indian sub-continent, including Romanes, its closest Indo-European relative.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Bengali
- Punjabi
- Gujarati
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Nepali
The Story of Raj
The earliest SSA record of Raj as a baby boy name dates back to 1950, when 5 babies received it. 2003 was its biggest year on record, with 88 newborns named Raj — #1,478 in the national rankings. About 27% of every Raj on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Raj ranks #4,797 for baby boys with 21 births, falling sharply (-23%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raj
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raj is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Rouge
- Rodge
- Rouges
- Rotch
- Raje
- Raasch
- Racz
- Raash
- Rosh
- Rouch
- Roush
- Rauch
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raj
What does the name Raj mean?
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In which U.S. states is Raj most popular?
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About the name Raj
Raj is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Raj's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #1,478. Use the chart and map above to compare Raj's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- 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.