NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Paras

A masculine Hindu name meaning "like a diamond" or "transcendent".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Paras is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Paras popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4608, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 9 births.

This profile covers 82 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 1997 to 2020. 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 81 living people in the UK are called Paras. 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 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Paras ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2004, when 9 boys were registered as Paras.
  • About 81 living people in the UK are estimated to have Paras as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4608

2020

Births in 2020

3

Latest year

Peak year

2004

9 births

Estimated living

81

2026

Meaning

What does Paras mean?

The name Paras has its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan tongue that was the root of many modern Indian languages. It likely emerged as a name during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE in the Indian subcontinent. The word "paras" in Sanskrit means "touchstone" or "supreme reality," suggesting the name may have held spiritual or philosophical significance.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Paras can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. The Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th or 9th century BCE, mentions a character named Parasara, a renowned sage and author of several Hindu texts.

In ancient Indian history, the name Paras gained prominence through figures like Paras Nath, a 23rd Tirthankara (ford-maker) of the Jain faith, who lived in the 8th century BCE. Another notable bearer of the name was Paras Ram, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is believed to have lived during the Vedic period.

Moving into the medieval era, the name Paras continued to be used, albeit with variations in spelling. One example is Paras Singh, a 16th-century Rajput warrior and ruler of the Sheikhawat clan in present-day Rajasthan, India.

In more modern times, the name Paras has been carried by several influential individuals, such as Paras Mani Pradhan (1899-1984), a Nepalese politician and poet who served as the Prime Minister of Nepal in the 1950s. Another notable figure is Paras Nath Verma (1912-1975), an Indian politician and freedom fighter who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.

Other notable individuals with the name Paras include Paras Arora (born 1984), an Indian actor known for his roles in Bollywood films, and Paras Khadka (born 1987), a Nepalese cricketer and former captain of the Nepalese national cricket team.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Paras over time

The chart below shows babies named Paras registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Paras, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 9 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Paras
02579199720082020

Decades

Paras by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Paras 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 #4608 3 1
2010s #4136 23 6
2000s #2670 39 7
1990s #1943 17 3

Related

Names similar to Paras

FAQ

Paras: questions and answers

How popular is the name Paras in the UK right now?

In 2020, Paras was ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Paras most popular?

The peak year on record was 2004, with 9 babies registered as Paras in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Paras?

A masculine Hindu name meaning "like a diamond" or "transcendent".

How many people are called Paras in the UK?

A total of 82 babies have been registered as Paras across the 17 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.