Gurman
A Hindu name meaning "messenger of God" or "learned person".
Name Census estimates that about 200 living Americans carry the first name Gurman. It is a predominantly male name (93.6% of registrations). The average person named Gurman today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurman births was 2016 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurman. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Gurman with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
200
~ 1 in 1,713,772 Americans
Peak year
2016
22 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,367
Tracked since 2000
Census
Gurman in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 285 people with the first name Gurman, which placed it at #30,528 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#30,528
National first-name rank
People counted
285
285 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
90.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurman
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Gurman is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Gurman described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Gurman at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.2% · 257
- White6.3% · 18
- Two or more races1.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.1% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Gender
Gender distribution for Gurman
Gurman leans heavily male at 93.6% of total registrations, but 13 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Gurman as a male name
- Ranked #11,367 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (16 births)
Gurman as a female name
- Ranked #13,398 in 2016
- 7 female births in 2016
- Peak: 2016 (7 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Gurman on both sides of the split. Of the 282 people counted with this name, 224 were male (79.4%) and 58 were female (20.6%).
Popularity
Gurman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurman from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 119 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurman by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gurman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurmans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurman
The name Gurman has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent during ancient times. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'gurmana,' which means 'venerable' or 'respected.' This name was particularly prevalent among the Brahmin communities of India, who were known for their scholarly pursuits and spiritual wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gurman can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. These sacred texts, dating back to around 1500-500 BCE, contain references to individuals bearing this name, indicating its widespread use during that era. The name Gurman was often associated with individuals who possessed deep knowledge and were revered for their intellectual or spiritual prowess.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the name Gurman. One such person was Gurman Dass, a renowned Sikh scholar and poet who lived during the 17th century. His compositions, known as 'Gurman Granth,' are celebrated for their profound insights into spirituality and philosophy. Another prominent figure was Gurman Singh (1865-1947), a respected leader of the Sikh community who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.
In the realm of literature, Gurman Nath Sharma (1900-1976) was a celebrated Hindi writer and novelist, known for his seminal works that explored social and cultural themes. His novel "Renu" is considered a masterpiece of Hindi literature. Additionally, Gurman Singh Chamak (1913-1988) was a revered Punjabi writer and poet, whose works reflected the struggles and aspirations of the common people.
The name Gurman has also been associated with individuals from various other fields, such as Gurman Singh Sidhu (1892-1935), a renowned mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education in India. Furthermore, Gurman Singh Dhaliwal (1921-2008) was a distinguished military officer who served in the Indian Army and was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, one of India's highest civilian honors.
While the name Gurman has its roots in ancient Indian culture, its use has transcended geographical boundaries and continues to be embraced by communities around the world. The name carries a legacy of respect, wisdom, and intellectual pursuit, reflecting the enduring influence of the Sanskrit language and the rich cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
People
Gurman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurman as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gurman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 200 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurman going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,713,772 US residents.
Is Gurman a common name?
We classify Gurman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurman most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurman was 2016, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurman is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Gurman in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 285 people with the name Gurman, or 0.09 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #30,528 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Gurman in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Gurman?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Gurman on both sides of the split. Of the 282 people counted with this name, 224 were male (79.4%) and 58 were female (20.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Gurman?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Gurman is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Gurman most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Gurman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (257 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gurman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gurman a male name?
Yes, 93.6% of people registered as Gurman in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gurman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gurman in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gurman can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Gurman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.