UK girl's name
Anushka
A feminine Hindu name meaning "following a noble path".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Anushka is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Anushka popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1819, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 53 births.
This profile covers 675 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 680 living people in the UK are called Anushka. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Anushka ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 53 girls were registered as Anushka.
- • Anushka ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #810 in 2011.
- • About 680 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anushka as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1819
2024
Births in 2024
16
Latest year
Peak year
2010
53 births
Estimated living
680
2026
Meaning
What does Anushka mean?
Anushka is a name of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "Anu," which means small or little, and "Shakka," meaning branch or twig. The name is believed to have its roots in Hindu mythology and ancient Sanskrit texts.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Anushka can be traced back to the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, where it was the name of a character. This epic is one of the most significant works of Sanskrit literature and dates back to around the 4th century BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Anushka. One of the earliest recorded instances is Anushka Devi, a renowned Indian poet and writer who lived during the 16th century. Her works, written in the Braj Bhasha language, were instrumental in the development of Hindustani literature.
Another famous Anushka was Anushka Shankar, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1925 to 2008. She was the daughter of the renowned Indian musician and composer, Ravi Shankar, and made significant contributions to the promotion of Indian classical dance forms on the global stage.
In more recent times, Anushka Sharma, an Indian actress and film producer, has brought widespread recognition to the name. Born in 1988, she has appeared in numerous successful Bollywood films and has won several awards for her performances.
Anushka Shetty, an Indian actress known for her work in Telugu and Tamil cinema, has also gained widespread popularity. Born in 1981, she has starred in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, earning numerous accolades for her acting skills.
Anushka Manchanda, an Indian singer-songwriter and music composer, born in 1984, is another notable figure associated with the name. She has gained recognition for her unique blend of Indian and Western musical styles and has collaborated with various international artists.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Anushka over time
The chart below shows babies named Anushka registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Anushka, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 53 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anushka by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anushka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1784 | 81 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1247 | 316 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1110 | 234 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1836 | 44 | 4 |
Geography
Where Anushka is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Anushka. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Anushka ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #810 in 2011.
Across the UK
Anushka in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#810 in 2011
3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered
Related
Names similar to Anushka
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Anushka: questions and answers
How popular is the name Anushka in the UK right now?
In 2024, Anushka was ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.
When was Anushka most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 53 babies registered as Anushka in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Anushka?
A feminine Hindu name meaning "following a noble path".
How many people are called Anushka in the UK?
A total of 675 babies have been registered as Anushka across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland.
Where is Anushka most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Anushka ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #810 in 2011. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.