UK boy's name
Skanda
A masculine Hindu name representing the lord of war and victory.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Skanda is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Skanda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2018 to 2018. 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.
Skanda is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Skanda. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Skanda ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 3 boys were registered as Skanda.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Skanda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4749
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Skanda mean?
The name Skanda has its origins in ancient Hindu mythology and is derived from the Sanskrit language. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 3rd century BCE.
Skanda is one of the many names of the Hindu god Kartikeya, who is the son of Shiva and Parvati. The name is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word "skand," which means "to leap" or "to jump." This is a reference to the mythological story of Kartikeya's birth, where he is said to have leapt from the womb of his mother, Parvati.
The name Skanda appears in various Hindu scriptures, including the Puranas and the epic Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata, Skanda is mentioned as the leader of the celestial army and plays a crucial role in the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Skanda can be found in the Skanda Purana, a Hindu religious text that dates back to around the 7th century CE. This text is dedicated to the worship of Skanda and contains numerous stories and legends related to him.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Skanda. One of the most famous was Skanda Gupta (455-467 CE), an emperor of the Gupta Empire in ancient India. He is known for his military conquests and for reviving the declining Gupta Empire during his reign.
Another notable figure was Skanda Kumara (1718-1765), a Telugu poet and playwright from the Madras Presidency (present-day Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) during the 18th century. He is renowned for his contributions to Telugu literature and is considered one of the most influential poets of his time.
In the 19th century, Skanda Gopala Bharati (1851-1925) was a prominent Hindu spiritual leader and the 33rd Jagadguru (supreme pontiff) of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, one of the most influential Hindu monastic institutions in South India.
More recently, Skanda Kumaran (1905-1974) was a renowned Indian lawyer and politician who served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament) from 1967 to 1971.
Skanda Bajpai (1936-2021) was an Indian civil servant and economist who served as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 1995 to 1998.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Skanda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Skanda 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 | #4749 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Skanda
- 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
Skanda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Skanda in the UK right now?
In 2018, Skanda was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Skanda most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 3 babies registered as Skanda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Skanda?
A masculine Hindu name representing the lord of war and victory.
How many people are called Skanda in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Skanda across the 1 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.