UK girl's name
Bhakti
Devotion to God or spiritual practice in Hindu philosophy.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Bhakti is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bhakti popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5666, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 6 births.
This profile covers 63 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. 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.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 63 living people in the UK are called Bhakti. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Bhakti ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 6 girls were registered as Bhakti.
- • About 63 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bhakti as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5666
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
6 births
Estimated living
63
2026
Meaning
What does Bhakti mean?
The name Bhakti originates from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the linguistic vehicle for much of the literature and scriptures of Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Indian philosophies and religions. The word "bhakti" itself means "devotion" or "devotional love" and is derived from the Sanskrit root "bhaj," meaning "to share in" or "to partake of."
Bhakti as a concept and spiritual practice has been deeply rooted in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. It finds its earliest mention in the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered Hindu scriptures, which dates back to around the 5th century BCE. In the Gita, Lord Krishna extols the virtues of bhakti, or devotion to the Divine, as a path to spiritual liberation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of Bhakti as a personal name can be found in the works of the 8th century CE Tamil poet and mystic, Bhakti Tirtha, who was a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement in South India. The Bhakti movement, which emerged around the 6th-7th century CE, was a spiritual renaissance that emphasized devotional love and unwavering faith in the Divine as the means to attain moksha (liberation).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bhakti, including:
1. Bhakti Thapa (1760-1806), a Nepalese military leader and Prime Minister of Nepal. 2. Bhakti Vikash Swami (1933-2011), an Indian spiritual leader and founder of the International Society of Divine Love. 3. Bhakti Hriday Bon (1901-1982), a renowned Bangladeshi mystic and philosopher. 4. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur (1874-1937), a prominent Hindu spiritual teacher and preacher in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. 5. Bhakti Charu Swami (1945-2004), an Indian spiritual teacher and author who played a significant role in the spread of the Hare Krishna movement in Western countries.
The name Bhakti continues to be popular in various parts of India and among followers of Hindu and Buddhist traditions, serving as a reminder of the enduring significance of devotional love and spiritual surrender in these ancient philosophies.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Bhakti over time
The chart below shows babies named Bhakti registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Bhakti, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bhakti by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bhakti 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5219 | 22 | 6 |
| 2000s | #4027 | 29 | 7 |
| 1990s | #3252 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Bhakti
- Bethany 43,226
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
FAQ
Bhakti: questions and answers
How popular is the name Bhakti in the UK right now?
In 2018, Bhakti was ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Bhakti most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 6 babies registered as Bhakti in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Bhakti?
Devotion to God or spiritual practice in Hindu philosophy.
How many people are called Bhakti in the UK?
A total of 63 babies have been registered as Bhakti across the 16 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.