Henil
A masculine name of Indian origin meaning "ruler" or "master".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Henil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Henil today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Henil births was 2015 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Henil. 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 Henil with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Henil. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2015
7 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#9,940
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Henil: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Henil 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 Henil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Henil
The name Henil is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to around the 2nd millennium BCE. Henil is a combination of two Sanskrit words, "heni" meaning "praise" and "la" meaning "to receive or take," giving it the meaning of "one who receives praise."
The name Henil was widely used in ancient Indian texts and scriptures, particularly in Hindu religious texts such as the Vedas and the Puranas. It was often associated with individuals who were highly respected or praised for their achievements or virtues.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Henil can be traced back to the 5th century CE, when it was mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. In this text, Henil was the name of a warrior who fought bravely in the legendary Kurukshetra war.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Henil. One of the most famous was Henil Samant, a renowned 12th-century Indian poet and scholar from the Konkan region of present-day Maharashtra, India. He was celebrated for his works in Marathi literature and his contributions to the Bhakti movement.
Another noteworthy figure was Henil Vaidya, a 16th-century Ayurvedic physician and scholar from Gujarat, India. He was renowned for his expertise in traditional Indian medicine and is credited with writing several influential texts on Ayurvedic practices.
In the 18th century, Henil Sarkar was a prominent Bengali poet and playwright who made significant contributions to the literary renaissance in Bengal. His works explored themes of love, devotion, and social commentary, earning him widespread recognition and acclaim.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Henil Desai was an influential Indian politician and social reformer from Gujarat. He played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly towards the upliftment of underprivileged communities.
Lastly, Henil Patel, a contemporary Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, has made significant contributions to various charitable causes, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare.
People
Henil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Henil as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Henil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Henil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Henil 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Henil a common name?
We classify Henil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Henil most popular?
The single biggest year for Henil was 2015, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Henil 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 Henil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Henil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Henil 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 Henil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Henil 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 Henil 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 people have Henil as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.