Mahi
A Hindi name meaning the Moon or Moonlight.
Name Census estimates that about 1,232 living Americans carry the first name Mahi. It is a predominantly female name (96.6% of registrations). The average person named Mahi today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mahi births was 2009 (100 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mahi. 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
- • Mahi is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 278,210 Americans
Peak year
2009
100 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,079
Tracked since 2001
Gender
Gender distribution for Mahi
Mahi leans heavily female at 96.6% of total registrations, but 42 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Mahi as a male name
- Ranked #9,507 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (8 births)
Mahi as a female name
- Ranked #4,079 in 2024
- 36 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (100 births)
Popularity
Mahi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mahi 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 610 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mahi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahi 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 Mahi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mahis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. New Jersey, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Mahi, while Ohio, North Carolina, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 42 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mahi
The name Mahi is derived from the Sanskrit word "mahi," which means "earth" or "land." This name has its roots in ancient Indian culture and can be traced back to the Vedic period, around the second millennium BCE.
In Hindu mythology, Mahi is one of the names used to refer to the earth goddess Prithvi or Bhudevi. The name is mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, including the Vedas and the Puranas, where it is associated with fertility, abundance, and the nurturing aspects of nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahi can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, composed around 1500 BCE to 1200 BCE. In the Rigveda, there are hymns dedicated to the earth goddess, where she is referred to as Mahi.
Throughout history, the name Mahi has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Mahi Rawal, a 12th-century ruler of the Chahamana dynasty in present-day Rajasthan, India. He is renowned for his bravery and military campaigns against the invading Muslim forces.
Another significant figure was Mahi Pala, an 8th-century Buddhist philosopher and scholar from the Pala Empire in ancient Bengal (now Bangladesh and parts of India). He was known for his contributions to Buddhist philosophy and his patronage of Buddhist universities and monasteries.
In the realm of literature, Mahi Laghukatha was a prominent 20th-century Nepali writer and novelist. She is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernist literature in Nepal and is known for her works that explored themes of gender, identity, and social issues.
The name Mahi has also been associated with celestial bodies. In Hindu astrology, Mahi is one of the names given to the planet Mars, which is considered a powerful celestial force influencing courage, strength, and assertiveness.
Another notable figure was Mahi Bindu Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, a 19th-century Nepalese military leader and Prime Minister of Nepal. He played a significant role in modernizing and centralizing the administration of Nepal during his tenure.
While the name Mahi has its origins in ancient Indian culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and continues to be used in various regions, particularly in South Asia and among communities with Hindu or Buddhist cultural influences.
People
Mahi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mahi 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
Mahi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mahi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,232 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mahi 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 278,210 US residents.
Is Mahi a common name?
We classify Mahi as "Rare". It ranks above 91.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,244 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mahi most popular?
The single biggest year for Mahi was 2009, when 100 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mahi is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mahi a female name?
Yes, 96.6% of people registered as Mahi 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.