Mahilan
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "great woman".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Mahilan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mahilan today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mahilan births was 2017 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mahilan. 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 Mahilan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2017
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,374
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Mahilan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahilan 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 Mahilan 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 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mahilan
The name Mahilan has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was prevalent in ancient India around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mahila," which means woman or lady. The name Mahilan is believed to have been used as a term of endearment and respect for women in ancient Indian culture.
In Hindu mythology, there are references to the name Mahilan in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics. The name is mentioned in connection with the character Mahila, who was a virtuous and devoted wife. This association with a revered figure in Hindu scriptures may have contributed to the popularity of the name in ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahilan dates back to the 7th century CE. Queen Mahilan, the wife of King Dharmapala of the Pala Empire in ancient Bengal, was a notable figure who bore this name. She was known for her patronage of Buddhist monasteries and her support for the preservation of Buddhist teachings.
In the 12th century, Mahilan was the name of a renowned female poet and scholar from the Chola dynasty in South India. She was celebrated for her expertise in Tamil literature and her contributions to the study of the Tamil language.
Another historical figure with the name Mahilan was a 16th-century Indian queen from the Vijayanagar Empire. She was known for her courage and leadership during times of war and is remembered for her role in defending the empire against invaders.
In more recent times, Mahilan was the name of a prominent Indian social reformer and activist from the 19th century. She worked tirelessly to improve the lives of women and advocated for education and equality.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Mahilan throughout history. While the name may have fallen out of popular use in modern times, its rich cultural heritage and associations with strong, influential women continue to make it a significant part of India's linguistic and historical legacy.
People
Mahilan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mahilan 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
Mahilan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mahilan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mahilan 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 Mahilan a common name?
We classify Mahilan 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 Mahilan most popular?
The single biggest year for Mahilan was 2017, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mahilan 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 Mahilan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mahilan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mahilan 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 Mahilan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mahilan 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 Mahilan 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 the name Mahilan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.