Dhalia
A feminine Arabic name meaning "branch" or "frond of a date palm".
Name Census estimates that about 286 living Americans carry the first name Dhalia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dhalia today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dhalia births was 2007 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dhalia. 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.
People living today
286
~ 1 in 1,198,442 Americans
Peak year
2007
17 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,460
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Dhalia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dhalia from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 113 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Dhalia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dhalia 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 Dhalia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dhalias live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dhalia
The name Dhalia is derived from the Sanskrit word "dhavala," which means "bright" or "radiant." This name has its origins in ancient India, where it was first used as a feminine name during the Vedic period, around the 2nd millennium BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dhalia can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. It was often used as a descriptive name for goddesses and deities associated with light, beauty, and purity.
During the medieval period, the name Dhalia gained popularity among the royal families and aristocracy of India. It was considered a name of great prestige and was often given to daughters born into noble families.
One notable historical figure with the name Dhalia was Dhalia Devi, a 16th-century Indian poet and mystic from the state of Rajasthan. Her collection of devotional poems, known as the "Dhalia Baani," is still widely read and celebrated today.
In the 18th century, Dhalia Bai, a renowned courtesan and poet from Lucknow, India, gained fame for her literary works and her influence in the cultural circles of the Nawabi era.
Another prominent figure with the name Dhalia was Dhalia Lohiya, an Indian social activist and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule in the early 20th century.
Dhalia Thavornvanit, a Thai politician and businesswoman, served as the Minister of Public Health in Thailand from 2008 to 2011 and was known for her efforts in promoting healthcare reforms.
In the realm of sports, Dhalia Barr, a Canadian athlete, represented Canada in track and field events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the heptathlon.
While the name Dhalia has its roots in ancient India, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions over time, with people from different backgrounds embracing its unique beauty and meaning.
People
Dhalia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dhalia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dhalia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dhalia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 286 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dhalia 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 1,198,442 US residents.
Is Dhalia a common name?
We classify Dhalia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 289 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dhalia most popular?
The single biggest year for Dhalia was 2007, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dhalia is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dhalia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dhalia in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.