UK boy's name
Vijay
An Indian given name meaning "victory" or "triumph".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Vijay is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Vijay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 19 births.
This profile covers 178 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. 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 21% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 179 living people in the UK are called Vijay. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Vijay ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 19 boys were registered as Vijay.
- • Vijay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #311 in 1985.
- • About 179 living people in the UK are estimated to have Vijay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
1996
19 births
Estimated living
179
2026
Meaning
What does Vijay mean?
The name Vijay is of Sanskrit origin and has been in use for centuries in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. The word "vijay" in Sanskrit means "victory" or "conquest," and the name is often associated with success, triumph, and overcoming obstacles.
One of the earliest references to the name can be found in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas. In these texts, the name is sometimes used as an epithet for various deities and heroes who achieved great victories or overcame powerful adversaries.
The name Vijay also has a significant presence in Indian history and mythology. One of the most famous figures bearing this name is Vijaya, the legendary prince who is said to have founded the Kingdom of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) in the 6th century BCE. According to the Mahavamsa, an ancient chronicle of Sri Lankan history, Vijaya was a prince from the Indian subcontinent who arrived in Sri Lanka with 700 followers and established the Sinhalese monarchy.
Another notable historical figure named Vijay was Vijayaraja Srivallabha, a ruler of the Chalukya dynasty who reigned in the 12th century CE. He is known for his military conquests and for patronizing the arts and literature during his reign.
In more recent times, several prominent individuals have borne the name Vijay. One of the most famous is Vijay Amritraj, an Indian-American former professional tennis player who was born in 1953. He was a highly successful player in the 1970s and 1980s, winning numerous titles and representing India in the Davis Cup.
Another notable Vijay is Vijay Mallya, an Indian businessman and former member of parliament, born in 1955. He is the former chairman of the United Breweries Group and was once considered one of the wealthiest individuals in India.
Vijay Hazare, an Indian cricketer born in 1915, was a successful captain of the Indian cricket team in the 1940s and 1950s. He is renowned for his leadership and batting skills, and a prestigious domestic cricket tournament in India is named after him.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, born in 1978, is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of the digital payments company Paytm. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India's tech industry and has been recognized with various awards and honors.
Vijay Iyer, born in 1971, is an American composer and jazz pianist of Indian descent. He is a Grammy-nominated artist known for his innovative and genre-bending approach to jazz, blending Indian classical music influences with contemporary styles.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Vijay over time
The chart below shows babies named Vijay registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Vijay, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 19 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vijay by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Vijay 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 | #3978 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010s | #3823 | 31 | 7 |
| 2000s | #1911 | 86 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1102 | 53 | 4 |
Geography
Where Vijay is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Vijay. 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.
Vijay ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #311 in 1985.
Across the UK
Vijay in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#311 in 1985
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Vijay
-
Vijay Mistry
musician; lyricist; record producer; percussionist
British drummer
1979-
-
Vijay Jhappan
cricketer
British Virgin Islands cricketer
1975-
-
Vijay Varadharajan
computer scientist
British computer scientist
1960-
-
Vijay Chudasama
researcher; organic chemist
British organic chemist
Related
Names similar to Vijay
- Vincent 7,753
- Vinnie 6,092
- Victor 4,279
- Vinny 1,401
- Veer 1,163
- Vihaan 948
- Valentino 883
- Viktor 706
- Vlad 677
- Vivaan 615
- Vincenzo 587
- Vladimir 541
FAQ
Vijay: questions and answers
How popular is the name Vijay in the UK right now?
In 2023, Vijay was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Vijay most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 19 babies registered as Vijay in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Vijay?
An Indian given name meaning "victory" or "triumph".
How many people are called Vijay in the UK?
A total of 178 babies have been registered as Vijay across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Vijay most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Vijay ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #311 in 1985. 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.