Mahavir
A masculine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "great hero".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mahavir. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mahavir today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mahavir births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mahavir. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mahavir. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,399
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Mahavir: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahavir 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 Mahavir 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mahavir
The name Mahavir originates from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It is a compound word derived from the Sanskrit words "maha" meaning great, and "vir" meaning brave or courageous. The name can be translated to mean "great hero" or "great warrior."
The name Mahavir is closely associated with Jainism, one of the oldest religions in the world. It is the name given to the 24th and last Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) of the present cosmic age in Jain philosophy. This Tirthankara, also known as Vardhamana, was a spiritual leader who lived in the 6th century BCE and is believed to have attained enlightenment and established the central principles of Jainism.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mahavir can be found in the Jain scriptures and texts, particularly the Kalpasutra, which is a biographical work that details the life and teachings of the 24 Tirthankaras, including Mahavir. The name is also mentioned in various other ancient Indian texts, such as the Buddhist Pali literature and the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Mahavir is the 24th Tirthankara himself, also known as Vardhamana Mahavir. He was born in 599 BCE in the present-day state of Bihar, India, and is believed to have lived until around 527 BCE. His teachings and principles, which emphasized non-violence, truth, and respect for all living beings, formed the foundation of Jainism.
Another notable figure with the name Mahavir was Mahavir Singh, a prominent Sikh warrior and military leader who lived in the 18th century. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Sikh Empire under Ranjit Singh and was known for his bravery and military prowess.
In the field of literature, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi was a renowned Hindi writer, critic, and scholar who lived from 1864 to 1938. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Hindi literature and made significant contributions to the development of the Hindi language and literature.
Mahavir Narayan Sinha was an Indian freedom fighter and political leader who lived from 1887 to 1963. He was a prominent member of the Indian National Congress and played an active role in the Indian independence movement, serving as the Chief Minister of the former state of Bihar after independence.
Mahavir Chakra is the second highest military decoration awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy in the Indian armed forces. The name "Mahavir Chakra" reflects the values of bravery and courage associated with the name Mahavir.
People
Mahavir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mahavir as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mahavir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mahavir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mahavir 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Mahavir a common name?
We classify Mahavir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mahavir most popular?
The single biggest year for Mahavir was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mahavir is about 8 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 Mahavir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mahavir a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mahavir 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 Mahavir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mahavir 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 Mahavir 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 are named Mahavir?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.