NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Anshu

A Hindi name of Sanskrit origin meaning "ray of light".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2009. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 3 boys.

Anshu is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Anshu popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2009 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4564, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 4 births.

This profile covers 4 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2009 to 2009. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Anshu is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 4 living people in the UK are called Anshu. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2010 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Anshu ranked #4564 for girls in England and Wales in 2009, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2009, when 4 girls were registered as Anshu.
  • Anshu is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 4 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anshu as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 57.1% of Anshu registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4564

2009

Births in 2009

4

Latest year

Peak year

2009

4 births

Estimated living

4

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Anshu

In England and Wales birth records, Anshu has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 42.9% of registrations are for boys and 57.1% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

43% boys
57% girls
Boys3 (42.9%)Girls4 (57.1%)

Anshu registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,805 in 2012
  • 3 boys registered in 2012
  • Peak: 2012 (3 births)

Anshu registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,564 in 2009
  • 4 girls registered in 2009
  • Peak: 2009 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Anshu mean?

The name Anshu has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The word "Anshu" is derived from the Sanskrit root "ansh," which means "ray" or "beam of light." It is believed that the name Anshu was initially used to refer to the sun or its radiance.

In Hindu mythology, Anshu is mentioned as one of the names of the Hindu god Surya, who is the deity of the sun. The name is also associated with the concept of light, brightness, and warmth, which were often revered in ancient Indian culture.

The earliest recorded use of the name Anshu can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Puranas. It was commonly used as a name for boys born into Hindu families, particularly those from the Brahmin caste.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Anshu. One of the earliest known was Anshu Shrivastava, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 8th century CE. He was known for his works on grammar, poetry, and Hindu philosophy.

Another prominent figure was Anshu Malik, a 12th-century Hindu king who ruled over the Chahamana dynasty in present-day Rajasthan, India. He was known for his military conquests and for patronizing the arts and literature.

In more recent times, Anshu Jain was a prominent Indian-German banker who served as the co-CEO of Deutsche Bank from 2012 to 2015. He was born in 1963 and played a significant role in the bank's global expansion.

Anshu Gupta is an Indian social entrepreneur and the founder of the non-profit organization Goonj, which works to address poverty and promote sustainable development. He was born in 1971 and has received numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts.

Anshu Malik is a contemporary Indian wrestler who competes in the 57kg weight category. She was born in 1998 and has won several international medals, including a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Anshu over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Anshu in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Anshu, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2009, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
01234200920102012

Decades

Anshu by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anshu was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2000s #4564 4 1

Related

Names similar to Anshu

FAQ

Anshu: questions and answers

How popular is the name Anshu in the UK right now?

In 2009, Anshu was ranked #4564 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Anshu most popular?

The peak year on record was 2009, with 4 babies registered as Anshu in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Anshu?

A Hindi name of Sanskrit origin meaning "ray of light".

How many people are called Anshu in the UK?

A total of 4 babies have been registered as Anshu across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.