Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2006

Sanjay

Meaning Borrowed from Sanskrit संजय (saṃjaya) Gender Boy Rank 2025 #5,012 Trend ↓ Falling 22%

Borrowed from Sanskrit संजय (saṃjaya).

Rank 2025
#5,012
among boys · ↓469 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
20
named Sanjay · -13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 85,404
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2006
90 babies
All-time total
2,606
#2,792 all-time among boys
First recorded
1962
in Social Security records

Sanjay popularity over time

2,606 babies have been named Sanjay since 1962, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2010Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s 137 14 – #1,319
1970s 391 39 +185% #1,090
1980s 313 31 -20% #1,391
1990s 383 38 +22% #1,962
2000s 685 69 +79% #1,615
2010s 568 57 -17% #1,750
2020s (to 2025) 129 22 -62% #4,257

Where Sanjay is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 19 0.01 outside top 500
2027 19 0.01 outside top 500
2028 18 0.01 outside top 500
2029 18 0.01 outside top 500
2030 17 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Sanjay

Sanjay is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,012 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1962, 2,606 American babies have been named Sanjay. Its peak came in 2006, when 90 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sanjay stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Sanjay?

The median living Sanjay is about 23 years old; half are between 15 and 41. An estimated 2,500 people named Sanjay are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Sanjay year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 20 #5,012
2024 23 #4,543
2023 22 #4,718
2022 24 #4,415
2021 16 #5,741
2020 24 #4,257
2019 31 #3,621
2018 32 #3,506
2017 38 #3,111
2016 44 #2,762
2015 76 #1,928
2014 58 #2,291
2013 71 #1,959
2012 60 #2,202
2011 71 #1,962
2010 87 #1,750
2009 86 #1,770
2008 87 #1,750
2007 73 #1,942
2006 90 #1,615
2005 61 #2,055
2004 69 #1,812
2003 65 #1,840
2002 48 #2,216
2001 48 #2,179
2000 58 #1,846
1995 39 #2,133
1990 35 #2,122
1985 28 #2,064
1980 35 #1,691
1975 39 #1,423
1970 33 #1,489
1965 14 #2,253
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Sanjay

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Dutt Indian actor and film producer (born 1959) Contemporary
  2. 2 Sanjay Gandhi Sanjay Gandhi Indian politician (1946–1980) Contemporary
  3. 3 Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sanjay Leela Bhansali Indian filmmaker (born 1963) Contemporary
  4. 4 Sanjay Gupta Sanjay Gupta American neurosurgeon and writer (born 1969) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Sanjay, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Sanjay?

The median living Sanjay is about 23 years old. Half of all living Sanjays are between 15 and 41 years old.

How many people named Sanjay are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Sanjay are alive in the United States, based on 2,606 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Sanjay mean?

Borrowed from Sanskrit संजय (saṃjaya).

How popular is the name Sanjay in 2025?

Sanjay ranked #5,012 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Sanjay?

2,606 babies have been named Sanjay in the United States since 1962, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Sanjay most popular?

Sanjay peaked in 2006, when 90 newborns received the name.

Is Sanjay a boy or girl name?

Sanjay is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Sanjay rising or falling?

Sanjay is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Sanjay become more popular?

Sanjay is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 17 boys named Sanjay in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Sanjay?

Well-known people named Sanjay include Sanjay Dutt (actor), Sanjay Gandhi (politician), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (film director).

Names like Sanjay

Names that sound and feel close to Sanjay: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Sanjay with similar names → More names starting with S →