UK name, mostly boys
Ekam
A Hindu name deriving from the Sanskrit word for "one" or "unity".
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.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 177 girls.
Ekam is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ekam popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #857, with 37 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 43 births.
This profile covers 449 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2002 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 86% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 452 living people in the UK are called Ekam. 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
- • Ekam ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 37 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2020, when 43 boys were registered as Ekam.
- • Ekam ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #711 in 2020.
- • Ekam is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 452 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ekam as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 71.7% of Ekam registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#857
2024
Births in 2024
37
Latest year
Peak year
2020
43 births
Estimated living
452
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Ekam
In England and Wales birth records, Ekam has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 71.7% of registrations are for boys and 28.3% 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.
Ekam registered for boys
- Ranked #857 in 2024
- 37 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (43 births)
Ekam registered for girls
- Ranked #3,318 in 2024
- 7 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (17 births)
Meaning
What does Ekam mean?
The name Ekam has its roots in the Sanskrit language, which originated in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "eka," which means "one" or "singular." The name likely emerged during the Vedic period, which spans from around 1500 BCE to the 6th century BCE, as Sanskrit was the primary language used in religious and philosophical texts of that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ekam can be found in the Upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts that form part of the Vedas. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, dated around the 8th century BCE, there is a reference to the concept of "Ekam Sat," which translates to "the one truth" or "the one reality."
In the 6th century BCE, the renowned Indian philosopher Ekam Atreya, also known as Gautama, lived and taught. He is credited with founding the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy, which focused on logic and epistemology. Ekam Atreya's teachings were influential in shaping Indian philosophical thought and his name serves as an early example of the use of Ekam as a personal name.
During the Gupta Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 4th to the 6th century CE, the name Ekam gained further prominence. Ekam Viryendra, a military commander and nobleman, served under the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II in the 5th century CE. His name is recorded in several inscriptions and historical texts from that period.
In the 12th century CE, Ekam Jyotirvidya was a renowned Indian astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and authored several treatises on the subject. His work, particularly in the areas of planetary motion and celestial calculations, was highly influential during that period.
Another notable figure with the name Ekam was Ekam Nath, a Hindu saint and mystic who lived in the 16th century CE. He was a prominent figure in the Nath tradition, a syncretic spiritual movement that combined elements of Hindu and Islamic beliefs. Ekam Nath's teachings and poetry have been preserved in various religious texts and continue to be studied by scholars and devotees alike.
While these are some of the more prominent historical figures associated with the name Ekam, it is important to note that the name has been used across various regions and cultures within the Indian subcontinent over the centuries. Its origins in Sanskrit and association with philosophical and spiritual concepts have contributed to its enduring significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ekam over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ekam in England and Wales, from 2002 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 Ekam, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 37 births in 2024, compared with 43 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ekam by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ekam 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 | #868 | 181 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1114 | 247 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3606 | 21 | 6 |
Geography
Where Ekam is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ekam. 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.
Ekam ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #711 in 2020.
Across the UK
Ekam in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#711 in 2020
2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered
Related
Names similar to Ekam
- Ethan 77,394
- Edward 53,212
- Elliot 23,450
- Elijah 22,369
- Ellis 19,358
- Elliott 16,964
- Evan 14,535
- Ezra 11,838
- Ewan 10,685
- Eli 8,126
- Elias 7,049
- Eric 6,654
FAQ
Ekam: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ekam in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ekam was ranked #857 for boys in England and Wales, with 37 births registered.
When was Ekam most popular?
The peak year on record was 2020, with 43 babies registered as Ekam in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ekam?
A Hindu name deriving from the Sanskrit word for "one" or "unity".
How many people are called Ekam in the UK?
A total of 449 babies have been registered as Ekam across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.
Where is Ekam most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ekam ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #711 in 2020. 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.