UK name, mostly boys
Seva
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning devoted service or selfless caring.
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.
Seva is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Seva 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 2018, with 7 births.
This profile covers 27 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2008 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 27 living people in the UK are called Seva. 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
- • Seva ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 7 boys were registered as Seva.
- • About 27 living people in the UK are estimated to have Seva as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 90.0% of Seva registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
7 births
Estimated living
27
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Seva
In England and Wales birth records, Seva has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 90.0% of registrations are for boys and 10.0% 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.
Seva registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (7 births)
Seva registered for girls
- Ranked #5,493 in 2020
- 3 girls registered in 2020
- Peak: 2020 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Seva mean?
The name Seva has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "seva," which means "service" or "selfless devotion." It is believed to have been in use since ancient times, particularly in Hindu and Buddhist cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Seva can be found in the Hindu scriptures, where it is often used to refer to the concept of selfless service to God or to humanity. In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered Hindu texts, the concept of seva is emphasized as a means of attaining spiritual enlightenment and liberation.
In the Buddhist tradition, the name Seva is associated with the idea of compassionate service and the cultivation of loving-kindness towards all beings. The Buddhist teachings encourage the practice of seva as a way of overcoming the ego and developing a sense of interconnectedness with all life.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Seva. One of the earliest recorded figures was Seva Samundriya, a 7th-century Indian Buddhist monk and scholar who was renowned for his contributions to the field of logic and philosophy.
Another famous figure with the name Seva was Seva Devi, a 16th-century Indian princess and poet from the Rajput kingdom of Mewar. Her writings, which often explored themes of love, devotion, and spirituality, are considered important works in the Braj Bhasha literary tradition.
In the 20th century, Seva Gandharva was a prominent Nepalese singer and musician who played a significant role in the revival and preservation of traditional Nepalese folk music. He was born in 1920 and passed away in 2001.
Seva Bharadwaj was an Indian classical singer and composer from the Kirana gharana (musical lineage). Born in 1930, he was highly regarded for his mastery of Hindustani classical music and his contributions to the art form.
Seva Samaj, or the "Society for Service," was a social reform movement founded in the late 19th century by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in India. The movement emphasized the importance of selfless service to society and the promotion of education and social upliftment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Seva over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Seva in England and Wales, from 2008 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 Seva, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Seva by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Seva 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 | #4839 | 9 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3639 | 15 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4432 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Seva
- 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
Seva: questions and answers
How popular is the name Seva in the UK right now?
In 2024, Seva was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Seva most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 7 babies registered as Seva in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Seva?
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning devoted service or selfless caring.
How many people are called Seva in the UK?
A total of 27 babies have been registered as Seva across the 7 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.