About the name Nanak
Naming a child Nanak outright is uncommon, since the first Guru's name carries a reverence most families would rather not put on a schoolbag. Where it does appear it is often doubled into Nanakpreet or Nanak Singh, softening the directness while keeping the reference intact.
Nanak is a boy name of Punjabi origin, pronounced NAH-nuk. On the NameRarity scale it scores 91 out of 100, which places it in the ultra rare band — fewer than 1 in 10,000 people carry this name. You will almost never meet another. Its strongest period was the timeless.
Name facts at a glance
How popular is Nanak?
Nanak currently falls outside the US top 1,000, which is a large part of why it scores so highly for rarity. Roughly 2.3 people per million carry it — about 1 in 434,783. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect not to find a single one.
Famous people named Nanak
- Guru NanakFifteenth-century founder of Sikhism and first of the ten Gurus
Spellings and variants of Nanak
Names similar to Nanak
Arjan
UR-jun
Name of the fifth Sikh Guru, compiler of the Adi Granth
Jaspal
JUS-paal
Protector of glory
Cecil
SESS-il
Blind — from the Roman family name Caecilius
Gurbaksh
goor-BUKSH
Gift of the Guru
Nakul
nuh-KOOL
Mongoose; the fourth Pandava, famed for beauty and horsemanship
Nemi
NAY-mee
Rim of a wheel, from Neminatha, the twenty-second Tirthankara
Nimesh
nih-MAYSH
The blink of an eye, a fleeting instant
Ronak
ROH-nuk
Brightness, splendour or glow
Nanak — frequently asked questions
What does the name Nanak mean?
Nanak means "Name of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism". It is a name of Punjabi origin, most often given to a boy.
How do you pronounce Nanak?
Nanak is pronounced NAH-nuk, with 2 syllables.
How rare is the name Nanak?
Nanak scores 91 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it ultra rare. Roughly 1 in every 434,783 people carry it — about 2.3 per million.
What is the numerology number for Nanak?
Nanak carries the expression number 5, known as The Free Spirit. Its soul urge number is 2 and its personality number is 3.
What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Nanak?
The lucky number for Nanak is 5 (with 14, 23, 32 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Bright Turquoise. The traditional lucky day is Wednesday and the associated gemstone is Aquamarine.