Gurtaj
A Hindu masculine name of Indian origin meaning "brave warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 129 living Americans carry the first name Gurtaj. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gurtaj today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurtaj births was 2017 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurtaj. 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 Gurtaj with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
129
~ 1 in 2,657,010 Americans
Peak year
2017
19 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,960
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Gurtaj: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurtaj from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 78 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gurtaj remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurtaj 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 Gurtaj during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurtajs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurtaj
The name Gurtaj has its origins in the ancient Sumerian civilization, one of the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia, located in the region of modern-day Iraq. It is believed to have originated around 3500 BC. The name is derived from the Sumerian words "gur," meaning "to encircle" or "to protect," and "taj," which translates to "crown" or "diadem." Thus, the name Gurtaj can be interpreted as "the one who protects the crown" or "the guardian of the crown."
Gurtaj was initially associated with the Sumerian nobility and royalty, as it was often given to individuals who held positions of power or were tasked with protecting the ruling class. In ancient Sumerian texts, there are records of individuals bearing this name serving as royal guards or advisors to the kings and queens of the time.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Gurtaj can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem that is considered one of the earliest surviving works of literature. In the epic, Gurtaj is mentioned as a skilled warrior and protector of the city of Uruk, serving under the rule of King Gilgamesh.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gurtaj. One of the most famous was Gurtaj the Wise (c. 1200 BC), a renowned Babylonian scholar and philosopher who is credited with making significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy. Another notable figure was Gurtaj the Brave (c. 700 BC), a Median warrior and military strategist who played a crucial role in the defense of the Median Empire against the Assyrian invasions.
In the realm of religion, Gurtaj the Devout (c. 300 AD) was a prominent Christian monk and theologian who lived in the Byzantine Empire. He is known for his writings on the principles of asceticism and his advocacy for the establishment of monastic communities.
During the Middle Ages, Gurtaj the Scribe (c. 1100 AD) was a renowned calligrapher and illuminator in the Islamic world, renowned for his intricate and exquisite illustrations in religious manuscripts and texts.
Lastly, Gurtaj the Navigator (c. 1400 AD) was a skilled Portuguese explorer and cartographer who played a significant role in mapping the coastlines of West Africa and contributed to the Age of Discovery.
People
Gurtaj + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurtaj 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
Gurtaj: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurtaj?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurtaj 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 2,657,010 US residents.
Is Gurtaj a common name?
We classify Gurtaj as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 130 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurtaj most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurtaj was 2017, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurtaj is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Gurtaj in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gurtaj a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gurtaj 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 Gurtaj still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gurtaj 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 Gurtaj 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Gurtaj?
You can see how many people have the name Gurtaj on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.