UK boy's name
Sanjay
Of Sanskrit origin meaning "victorious" or "alongside victory".
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.
Sanjay is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sanjay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 32 births.
This profile covers 325 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 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 16% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 326 living people in the UK are called Sanjay. 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
- • Sanjay ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 32 boys were registered as Sanjay.
- • Sanjay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #359 in 1999.
- • About 326 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sanjay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
1998
32 births
Estimated living
326
2026
Meaning
What does Sanjay mean?
The name Sanjay is of Sanskrit origin and is derived from the Sanskrit words "sanjaya" which means "victorious" or "winner of battles." The name has its roots in ancient Indian culture and can be traced back to the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
In the Mahabharata, Sanjaya was the charioteer of the blind king Dhritarashtra and served as his eyes during the great battle of Kurukshetra. Sanjaya was gifted with the divine ability to witness the events of the battle from a distance and narrate them to the king. His role was pivotal in the epic, and the name Sanjaya became synonymous with the concept of being a witness or narrator.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sanjay dates back to the 8th century CE, when a Sanskrit scholar and poet named Sanjay lived during the reign of the Pala Empire in ancient Bengal. He is known for his work on the Raghuvansha, a poetic adaptation of the life of the legendary king Raghu.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Sanjay. One of the most famous was Sanjay Gandhi (1946-1980), the younger son of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He played a significant role in Indian politics during the turbulent years of the Emergency in the 1970s.
Another prominent Sanjay was Sanjay Leela Bhansali (born 1963), an acclaimed Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his visually stunning and emotionally charged films such as "Devdas," "Bajirao Mastani," and "Padmaavat."
In the field of science, Sanjay Gupta (born 1970) is a renowned American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer who has made significant contributions to healthcare journalism and public education on medical issues.
Sanjay Dutt (born 1959) is a prominent Indian actor who has appeared in numerous Bollywood films and is known for his versatile performances and personal struggles with legal issues.
Lastly, Sanjay Lal (born 1958) is a former Indian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Delhi and represented India in Test cricket during the 1980s.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals named Sanjay throughout history, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and significance of this Sanskrit name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sanjay over time
The chart below shows babies named Sanjay registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 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 Sanjay, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 32 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sanjay by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sanjay 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 | #4108 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3643 | 38 | 8 |
| 2000s | #1154 | 176 | 10 |
| 1990s | #702 | 99 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sanjay is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sanjay. 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.
Sanjay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #359 in 1999.
Across the UK
Sanjay in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#359 in 1999
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sanjay
-
Sanjay Mortimer
entrepreneur; inventor
3D printer entrepreneur
1989-2021
-
Sanjay Shah
businessperson
businessman
1970-
-
Sanjay Modgil
computer scientist; lecturer; university teacher
researcher, ORCID id # 0000-0002-7873-8086
Related
Names similar to Sanjay
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Sanjay: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sanjay in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sanjay was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Sanjay most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 32 babies registered as Sanjay in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sanjay?
Of Sanskrit origin meaning "victorious" or "alongside victory".
How many people are called Sanjay in the UK?
A total of 325 babies have been registered as Sanjay across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland.
Where is Sanjay most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sanjay ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #359 in 1999. 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.