UK boy's name
Gautam
A masculine Indian name derived from Gautama Buddha, meaning "descendant of the enlightened one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gautam is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gautam popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3937, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 6 births.
This profile covers 58 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2003 to 2019. 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 58 living people in the UK are called Gautam. 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 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gautam ranked #3937 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 6 boys were registered as Gautam.
- • About 58 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gautam as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3937
2019
Births in 2019
4
Latest year
Peak year
2013
6 births
Estimated living
58
2026
Meaning
What does Gautam mean?
Gautam is a given name with origins tracing back to ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Gautama," which has roots in the word "gau," meaning "cow" or "earth," and "tama," meaning "greatest" or "supreme." The name is closely associated with the ancient Indian sage and spiritual leader Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
In Hindu mythology, Gautama is also the name of an ancient sage who is revered as one of the Seven Great Sages or Saptarshi. He is believed to have lived during the Vedic period and is credited with composing several hymns in the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism.
The name Gautam appears in various ancient Indian texts, including the Upanishads, the Puranas, and the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata, Gautama is mentioned as the father of the famous sage Charvaka, who founded the Charvaka school of Indian philosophy.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Gautam is from the 6th century BCE, referring to Gautama Buddha, whose given name was Siddhartha Gautama. He was born around 563 BCE in present-day Nepal and is regarded as the founder of Buddhism.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gautam. These include Gautama Maharishi (7th century BCE), an ancient Indian sage and philosopher; Gautama Rishi (500 BCE), a renowned Hindu sage and author of the Nyaya Sutras; Gautama Siddhartha (563-483 BCE), the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism, also known as Gautama Buddha; Gautama Swami (1879-1920), an Indian yogi and spiritual leader; and Gautama Vajra (1714-1798), a Tibetan Buddhist monk and scholar.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gautam over time
The chart below shows babies named Gautam registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gautam, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2019, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gautam by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gautam 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 | #4046 | 32 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3613 | 26 | 7 |
Related
Names similar to Gautam
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gautam: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gautam in the UK right now?
In 2019, Gautam was ranked #3937 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Gautam most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 6 babies registered as Gautam in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gautam?
A masculine Indian name derived from Gautama Buddha, meaning "descendant of the enlightened one".
How many people are called Gautam in the UK?
A total of 58 babies have been registered as Gautam across the 15 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.