Dhilan
A masculine name of Indian origin meaning "innocent and peaceful".
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the first name Dhilan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dhilan today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dhilan births was 2015 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dhilan. 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
344
~ 1 in 996,379 Americans
Peak year
2015
31 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,182
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Dhilan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dhilan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 199 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
Decades
Dhilan 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 Dhilan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dhilans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dhilan
The name Dhilan is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "dhili," which means "patient" or "calm." The name is thought to have been used in ancient India as early as the 5th century BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dhilan can be found in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, where it is said to have been the name of a sage or rishi who was known for his patience and wisdom. In the epic, Dhilan is described as a man of great spiritual knowledge and a follower of the path of non-violence and compassion.
During the medieval period, the name Dhilan was popular among Hindu communities in parts of South India, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It was often given to boys as a reminder of the virtues of patience and calmness, which were highly valued in Hindu philosophy.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Dhilan. One such figure was Dhilan Ranasinghe (1925-2002), a Sri Lankan novelist and playwright who was known for his works that explored the complexities of human relationships and the social and political issues of his time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Dhilan Gnanapragasam (1932-2020), a Sri Lankan Tamil writer and academic who made significant contributions to the study of Tamil literature and culture. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award, one of India's highest literary honors, in 1998.
In the 20th century, the name Dhilan also gained popularity among the Indian diaspora communities around the world. One notable example is Dhilan Chandrasena (born 1983), an Australian cricketer of Sri Lankan descent who played for the Australian national cricket team.
Another individual worth mentioning is Dhilan Prem Krishnan (born 1981), a British-Indian actor and writer who has appeared in several television shows and films in both the UK and India. He is known for his work in exploring themes of identity and cultural diversity in his creative projects.
While the name Dhilan has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu traditions, it has transcended cultural boundaries and is now found among various communities around the world, carrying with it the essence of patience, calmness, and wisdom.
People
Dhilan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dhilan 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
Dhilan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dhilan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 344 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dhilan 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 996,379 US residents.
Is Dhilan a common name?
We classify Dhilan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 347 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dhilan most popular?
The single biggest year for Dhilan was 2015, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dhilan is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dhilan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dhilan 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.
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.