NameCensus.
Very Rare

Bodhin

A unisex name of Sanskrit origin meaning "enlightened" or "awakened".

Name Census estimates that about 53 living Americans carry the first name Bodhin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bodhin today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bodhin births was 2011 (7 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Bodhin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

Key insights

  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bodhin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

53

~ 1 in 6,467,063 Americans

Peak year

2011

7 babies that year

Average age

11

years old

2021 SSA rank

#12,399

Tracked since 2010

Popularity

Bodhin: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Bodhin from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 48 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.

Babies born per year

02457201020152020

Decades

Bodhin by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bodhin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2010s48048
2020s505

Origin

Meaning and history of Bodhin

The name Bodhin is believed to have its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the root for many modern languages spoken in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bodhi," which translates to "enlightenment" or "awakening." This linguistic connection suggests that the name Bodhin may have held spiritual or philosophical significance in its early usage.

In Buddhist tradition, the concept of bodhi is closely tied to the attainment of enlightenment or the ultimate understanding of the nature of existence. The name Bodhin could have been bestowed upon individuals who were seen as having achieved a state of enlightenment or were considered spiritually awakened. Alternatively, it may have been given to children with the aspiration that they would grow to embody the qualities of enlightenment and wisdom.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bodhin can be found in ancient Indian texts, specifically in the Mahabharata, a revered epic poem that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this text, Bodhin is mentioned as a sage or wise man, though details about his life and teachings are scarce.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bodhin. One such figure was Bodhin Svami, a Hindu spiritual leader and philosopher who lived in the 15th century CE. He was known for his teachings on the concept of advaita, or non-dualism, and his writings on the nature of consciousness and reality.

Another prominent Bodhin was Bodhin Raja, a 17th-century Indian ruler who reigned over the kingdom of Garhwal in the Himalayan region of present-day Uttarakhand, India. He was renowned for his patronage of the arts and his efforts to promote education and cultural development within his realm.

In more recent times, Bodhin Kjolhede, a Swedish-American Zen Buddhist teacher and author, has carried the name Bodhin. Born in 1948, he is the co-founder of the Rochester Zen Center in New York and has written extensively on the practice of Zen Buddhism and mindfulness.

Bodhin Khalatnikov, a Russian theoretical physicist born in 1928, was also a notable figure who shared this name. He made significant contributions to the field of quantum field theory and was honored with numerous awards and accolades for his scientific achievements.

While the name Bodhin may have its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Buddhist traditions, it has transcended cultural and religious boundaries, appearing in various contexts throughout history. The name's connection to the concept of enlightenment and wisdom has likely contributed to its enduring appeal and usage across different societies and time periods.

People

Bodhin + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Bodhin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with B

Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Bodhin: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Bodhin?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 53 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bodhin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 6,467,063 US residents.

Is Bodhin a common name?

We classify Bodhin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 55.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Bodhin most popular?

The single biggest year for Bodhin was 2011, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bodhin is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bodhin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Bodhin a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bodhin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Is Bodhin still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Bodhin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.

Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bodhin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.

How many Americans are named Bodhin?

For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.

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There are 53 people

with the first name

Bodhin

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