Home βΊ Baby Names Directory βΊ Ganesh
Ganesh
How to Pronounce Ganesh
Pronounced guh-NESH /Ι‘ΙΛnΙΚ/Medium
Meaning: Ganesh is a Sanskrit name of the beloved Hindu deity Ganesha, from 'gana' (the attendant hosts of the god Shiva) and 'isha' ('lord') - so 'lord of the ganas.' Ganesha is the elephant-headed god revered as the remover of obstacles and the patron of beginnings and wisdom.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Ganesh comes from the Sanskrit name of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu deity honored as the remover of obstacles and the lord of beginnings and wisdom. The name joins 'gana,' the hosts who attend the god Shiva, with 'isha,' 'lord.' In the United States it arrived with Indian immigrant families and stayed rare, appearing from the late 1970s and cresting at only about fifteen boys a year in the early 1990s.
A Ganesh born at its American peak would be in his early thirties today. The name carries deep devotional weight; parents choose it as a blessing and an invocation. It sits beside Ganesha, Ganpati, and Vinayak - the deity's honored names - in cultural feel.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Ganeshβ¦
Explore names like Ganesh
Frequently Asked
What does the name Ganesh mean?
Ganesh means 'lord of the ganas,' the name of the Hindu deity Ganesha, honored as the remover of obstacles.
How do you pronounce Ganesh?
It is said guh-NESH, two syllables with the stress on the second.
Is Ganesh a boy or a girl name?
Ganesh is a boy's name, given in honor of the deity Ganesha.
Is Ganesh a popular name?
No. In the United States Ganesh has always been rare, seen mostly in Indian-American families and reaching its modest best in the early nineteen-nineties.