UK boy's name
Nirav
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "peaceful" or "serene".
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.
Nirav is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Nirav popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 9 births.
This profile covers 90 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 89 living people in the UK are called Nirav. 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
- • Nirav ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 9 boys were registered as Nirav.
- • About 89 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nirav as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
9 births
Estimated living
89
2026
Meaning
What does Nirav mean?
The name Nirav has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "nir" meaning "out" or "away", and "ava" meaning "to obtain" or "to get". Thus, the name Nirav can be interpreted as "one who obtains" or "one who achieves".
In Hindu mythology, Nirav is believed to be a name associated with Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism. This name is mentioned in various ancient Hindu scriptures, including the Puranas and the Vedas. It is also found in some historical records from the Indian subcontinent, dating back to the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nirav can be found in the 10th century CE, when a Hindu scholar and poet named Nirav Pandita lived in the region of present-day Gujarat, India. He is known for his contributions to Sanskrit literature and his works on grammar and poetry.
Another notable figure with the name Nirav was Nirav Shah, a 16th-century Hindu philosopher and spiritual leader from the Rajput community in India. He is credited with establishing a religious movement known as the Niravadvaita, which emphasized the unity of all beings and the importance of self-realization.
In more recent history, Nirav Modi, a famous Indian jeweler and businessman, gained notoriety for his involvement in a multi-billion dollar fraud case in India. Born in 1961, he founded the Diamond Empire, a prominent diamond trading and manufacturing company, but was later accused of defrauding banks and fled to the United Kingdom.
Other notable individuals with the name Nirav include Nirav Tolia, an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the social networking platform Nextdoor, born in 1978. Nirav Chokshi, an Indian-American journalist and writer, born in 1983, is also known for his work at various publications, including The New York Times.
Nirav Sheth, born in 1976, is an Indian-American entrepreneur and investor, best known for co-founding the online payment platform Upwork. He has played a significant role in the growth of the gig economy and remote work.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nirav over time
The chart below shows babies named Nirav registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 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 Nirav, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nirav by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nirav 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 | #4282 | 16 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4327 | 26 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3162 | 28 | 6 |
| 1990s | #1754 | 20 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Nirav
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Nirav: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nirav in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nirav was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Nirav most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 9 babies registered as Nirav in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nirav?
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "peaceful" or "serene".
How many people are called Nirav in the UK?
A total of 90 babies have been registered as Nirav across the 20 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.