Lashanti
A feminine name of West African origin meaning "beautiful lady".
Name Census estimates that about 342 living Americans carry the first name Lashanti. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lashanti today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lashanti births was 2002 (108 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lashanti. 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
342
~ 1 in 1,002,206 Americans
Peak year
2002
108 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2013 SSA rank
#11,532
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Lashanti: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lashanti from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 287 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lashanti 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 Lashanti during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lashantis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Georgia, Florida, Illinois recorded the most babies named Lashanti, while South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lashanti
The name Lashanti has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that emerged in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "lasya," meaning grace or charm, and "anti," meaning end or boundary, suggesting a possible interpretation of "boundless grace" or "infinite charm."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, the name Lashanti is associated with feminine energy, beauty, and elegance. It is mentioned in some verses of the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, as a name bestowed upon celestial nymphs or apsaras, who were renowned for their captivating beauty and grace.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Lashanti can be found in the epic poem Ramayana, which dates back to around the 7th century BCE. In this ancient Sanskrit literature, Lashanti is mentioned as the name of a celestial dancer who performed for the gods and was celebrated for her enchanting movements and divine beauty.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lashanti. One such person was Lashanti Debi (1909-1988), a renowned Bengali singer and exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, the songs and poetry composed by the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore. Her melodious renditions and deep understanding of Tagore's works earned her widespread acclaim and reverence.
Another famous Lashanti was Lashanti Mitra (1926-2019), a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She was a pioneer in the revival and promotion of the Kathak dance form, and her contributions to the art were recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.
In the 16th century, Lashanti Devi was a revered mystic and poet from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. Her devotional songs, known as "Lashanti Sangeet," were widely popular and celebrated for their spiritual depth and poetic beauty.
During the 18th century, Lashanti Bai was a renowned Indian classical vocalist and courtesan from the city of Lucknow. She was a prominent figure in the Nawabi culture of the time and was renowned for her mastery of the Thumri and Dadra genres of Hindustani classical music.
In the realm of literature, Lashanti Raha (1925-2008) was a celebrated Bengali writer and poet. Her works, which explored themes of feminism, social justice, and human emotions, won her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Ananda Purashkar, one of the highest literary honors in Bengal.
People
Lashanti + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lashanti as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lashanti: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lashanti?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 342 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lashanti 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 1,002,206 US residents.
Is Lashanti a common name?
We classify Lashanti as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 349 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lashanti most popular?
The single biggest year for Lashanti was 2002, when 108 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lashanti is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lashanti a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lashanti 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.