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Raj as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Raj

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The baby name Raj is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /rɑːdʒ/ (RAHJ).

Raj is Sanskrit in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: /rɑːdʒ/ (RAHJ)

What is the meaning of the name Raj ?

The baby name Raj is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /rɑːdʒ/ (RAHJ).

Raj is Sanskrit in Origin.

Raj stems from Sanskrit rāj, “to rule,” and the noun rāja, “king,” yielding the sense of kingship, sovereignty, and regal authority. In modern Indo‑Aryan languages (Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali), it appears as Rāj (Devanagari राज) and functions both as a given name and as a royal title embedded in compounds such as Maharaja and Swaraj (“self‑rule”). The name conveys leadership and prestige.

In use across South Asia and the diaspora, Raj stands alone or serves as a short form for Raj‑names like Rajendra, Rajesh, and Rajiv. Common variants and spellings include Raja, Rajah (Anglicized), and Raaj; feminine counterparts include Rani (“queen”) and Rājni (from rājñī, “queen”). The term’s global visibility rose during the period known as the British Raj and through cultural figures such as filmmaker Raj Kapoor. Unrelated etymology gives raj the meaning “paradise” in several Slavic languages, a coincidental, appealing echo.

Raj has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Raj

Raj Babbar Actor · Born 1952 · India Raj Babbar is best known as an Indian film actor who has worked prominently in Hindi and Punjabi cinema, appearing in films like Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Nikah, and Aaj Ki Awaz. Born in 1952, he later entered politics with the Indian National Congress and served multiple terms in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Raj – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
IN Boys 0 #5 24,685 16,750
FJ 0 #6 1 374
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
IN 0 #9 81 2,963
QA Boys 0 #10 5,095 18,093
FJ Boys 0 #12 6 603
DJ 0 #17 1 322
MV Boys 0 #20 76 3,375
KW Boys 0 #28 4,541 18,755
MV Girls 0 #31 5 2,021
BD 0 #34 358 5,992
AE Boys 0 #35 8,453 22,615
BH 0 #36 1,649 17,937
DJ Boys 0 #36 1 657
SG Boys 0 #36 2,846 17,960
OM Boys 0 #38 4,839 17,948
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
SA Boys 0 #58 18,323 28,008
MU Boys 0 #61 632 8,477
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
QA 0 #67 34 7,011
BD Boys 0 #69 2,328 10,045
AF 0 #73 4 1,883
JP 0 #74 4 4,057
OM 0 #81 36 6,215
KW 0 #84 33 5,216
AE 0 #86 92 10,220
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
QA Girls 0 #87 289 15,378
JM 0 #89 5 3,714
AF Girls 0 #92 3 2,402
IN Girls 0 #96 1,383 13,121
BN Boys 0 #97 37 6,332
MY Boys 0 #99 3,760 25,439
SD 0 #101 2 2,130
TW 0 #101 3 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
MU 0 #119 18 3,613
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
CY Boys 0 #125 7 3,473
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
ID Boys 0 #133 3 4,130
BD Girls 0 #134 365 8,413
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
JO 0 #139 2 2,158
BW Boys 0 #150 5 4,685
OM Girls 0 #150 270 15,987
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
CR 0 #160 6 5,526
MO Boys 0 #161 63 5,842
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
MT Boys 0 #178 2 4,064
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
SA 0 #201 95 10,560
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
Finland Boys 0 #208 283 2,041
SI Boys 0 #209 3 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
SG 0 #215 55 11,010
BG Boys 0 #218 3 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
PS 0 #221 6 5,692
AL Girls 0 #222 6 4,141
SA Girls 0 #222 1,179 25,931
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
JP Boys 0 #233 65 7,909
AE Girls 0 #237 350 20,968
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
AO Boys 0 #246 4 5,568
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
JM Boys 0 #248 25 6,876
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
AF Boys 0 #250 21 3,535
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
GR Boys 0 #251 17 6,912
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
JO Boys 0 #258 126 7,057
KW Girls 0 #259 277 19,177
MY 0 #270 61 12,352
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
JM Girls 0 #277 2 7,507
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
KZ Boys 0 #288 9 6,578
CN Boys 0 #293 27 9,639
PT Boys 0 #299 70 7,951
AL Boys 0 #301 3 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
PH Boys 0 #304 80 11,440
JO Girls 0 #314 12 7,570
DK Boys 0 #315 11 7,401
PL Boys 0 #317 19 6,459
Canada Boys 2013 #322 5 2,334
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
GH Boys 0 #328 18 8,138
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
MU Girls 0 #333 19 8,539
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
YE 0 #337 45 8,639
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
HK 0 #353 5 8,483
SD Girls 0 #353 6 7,678
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
PH Girls 0 #370 21 13,098
SD Boys 0 #371 75 10,523
Finland Girls 0 #380 12 1,368
NL 0 #381 11 2,481
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
France Boys 2014 #414 4 2,861
Austria Boys 0 #419 24 2,180
HK Boys 0 #422 107 12,905
ZA 0 #425 23 14,421
CR Boys 0 #453 35 10,188
RU Boys 0 #453 53 12,621
SG Girls 0 #465 122 18,916
PT Girls 0 #469 3 7,952
LY 0 #490 46 12,703
IQ Girls 0 #495 10 11,303
PA Boys 0 #498 8 9,305
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PS Boys 0 #499 50 10,655
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
IQ Boys 0 #525 143 13,071
IR Boys 0 #535 18 10,162
CM Boys 0 #541 10 12,054
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
CR Girls 0 #569 5 11,342
IL Boys 0 #573 35 10,983
HK Girls 0 #600 16 16,104
LB 0 #601 58 13,263
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
IL Girls 0 #642 4 11,648
Finland Boys 2026 #675 8 3,552
IT 0 #681 34 4,183
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
SY 0 #705 24 11,684
IT Boys 0 #727 927 10,046
ZA Boys 0 #749 484 25,619
NG Girls 0 #776 11 15,093
MY Girls 0 #777 220 24,821
TN 0 #777 53 13,765
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
MA 0 #786 353 20,986
NL Boys 0 #819 133 5,873
Spain Boys 0 #823 108 5,610
EG Boys 0 #824 63 15,035
Germany Girls 0 #829 10 4,949
United States Boys 2024 #873 20 7,044
Germany Boys 0 #875 78 5,697
NG Boys 0 #882 70 16,906
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
PE Boys 0 #921 6 14,506
Spain Girls 0 #972 12 5,561
CO Boys 0 #978 4 15,656
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
DZ 0 #1,097 80 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,130 12 25,928
TR 0 #1,168 44 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,266 2 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,295 152 9,415

Raj is popular in 83 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
France
AE
AF

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Raj

Raj is predominantly a boy's name.
Raj is a one syllable name, pronounced /rɑːdʒ/ (RAHJ).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Raja, Rajan, Rajesh, Rajendra, Rajiv and Rajat.
Across languages, Raj has these equivalents: Rex (Latin), Malik (Arabic), Melech (Hebrew), Rey (Spanish), Roi (French), and 2 more.
Yes — Raj ranked #322 in Canada in 2013, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Raj ranks highest in Canada (#322 in 2013).
Raj's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #850 in 2014 to #873 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Raj are in our database, including Raj Babbar (Actor).