Dilshan
A masculine name of Sinhalese origin meaning "belonging to the island".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Dilshan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dilshan today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dilshan births was 2007 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dilshan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Dilshan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dilshan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2007
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,745
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Dilshan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dilshan from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dilshan 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 Dilshan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dilshan
The name Dilshan has its origins in the Sinhala language, which is one of the official languages of Sri Lanka. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words "Dil" meaning heart or mind, and "Shaan" meaning glory or pride. The combination of these words suggests that the name Dilshan carries the meaning of "one with a glorious heart or mind."
Historically, the name Dilshan has been predominantly used in Sri Lanka and among the Sinhala community. It is a relatively modern name, with records of its usage dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language, which has had a significant influence on Sinhala culture and literature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dilshan can be found in the writings of the renowned Sri Lankan author and playwright, Ediriweera Sarachchandra, who was born in 1914. Sarachchandra's works often featured characters with traditional Sinhala names, including Dilshan.
In more recent times, the name Dilshan gained widespread recognition due to the Sri Lankan cricketer, Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was born in 1976. Dilshan had a successful international cricket career, representing Sri Lanka in all three formats of the game. He is particularly renowned for his innovative batting style and his ability to score runs quickly.
Another notable figure with the name Dilshan is Dilshan Dissanayake, a Sri Lankan actor and musician born in 1984. He has appeared in several popular Sinhala television series and films and is also known for his work as a playback singer in the Sri Lankan music industry.
In the field of politics, Dilshan Gunathilaka is a prominent name. Born in 1982, he is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who later ventured into politics and currently serves as a Member of Parliament.
Dilshan Wirasiri, born in 1976, is a notable Sri Lankan author and poet. His works often explore themes of identity, culture, and the human experience, and he has received numerous accolades for his contributions to Sinhala literature.
While the name Dilshan is predominantly associated with Sri Lanka and the Sinhala community, it has also gained some recognition internationally, particularly among the Sri Lankan diaspora communities around the world.
People
Dilshan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dilshan 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
Dilshan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dilshan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dilshan 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Dilshan a common name?
We classify Dilshan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dilshan most popular?
The single biggest year for Dilshan was 2007, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dilshan is about 12 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 Dilshan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dilshan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dilshan 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 Dilshan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dilshan 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 Dilshan 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 Dilshan?
Want to know how many Americans are named Dilshan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.