Minal
A feminine name of Hindi origin meaning "bud" or "jasmine flower".
Name Census estimates that about 195 living Americans carry the first name Minal. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Minal today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Minal births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Minal. 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 Minal with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
195
~ 1 in 1,757,715 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2023 SSA rank
#7,523
Tracked since 1979
Census
Minal in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,050 people with the first name Minal, which placed it at #12,014 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#12,014
National first-name rank
People counted
1.1K
1,050 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
94.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minal
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Minal is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (1.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Minal described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Minal at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.6% · 993
- White3.2% · 34
- Black or African American1.0% · 10
- Two or more races1.0% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 3
Popularity
Minal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Minal from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 55 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Minal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Minal 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 Minal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Minal
The name Minal has its origins in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Minala," which means "radiant" or "shining." This name has been in use since ancient times and has a rich cultural and historical significance.
In Hindu mythology, Minal is considered a name associated with beauty, grace, and elegance. It is believed that the name was inspired by the vibrant plumage of the Indian Paradise Flycatcher bird, known for its iridescent feathers. The name was often bestowed upon young girls in the hope that they would embody the qualities of radiance and beauty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Minal can be found in the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Minal is mentioned as the name of a character who symbolized virtue and purity. This reference dates back to around the 8th century BCE, indicating the name's long-standing presence in Indian culture.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Minal. Minal Khan (born 1992) is a Pakistani actress and model who has gained popularity for her roles in various television dramas. Minal Patel (born 1983) is an Indian-American actress known for her work in films and television shows like "Shortcut to Happiness" and "The Big Bang Theory."
Minal Modak (born 1966) is an Indian classical singer and Padma Shri awardee, recognized for her contributions to Hindustani classical music. Minal Dakhave Bhonsle (born 1980) is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, representing the Hingoli constituency in Maharashtra.
Another notable figure is Minal Prabhu (born 1968), an Indian social entrepreneur and co-founder of the Shanti Life organization, which works to empower underprivileged communities in India through education and skill development programs.
While the name Minal has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity in various parts of the world. Its association with radiance, beauty, and virtue has made it a cherished choice for parents seeking a name with a rich heritage and meaningful symbolism.
People
Minal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Minal 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
Minal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Minal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 195 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Minal 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 1,757,715 US residents.
Is Minal a common name?
We classify Minal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 200 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Minal most popular?
The single biggest year for Minal was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Minal is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Minal in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,050 people with the name Minal, or 0.35 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #12,014 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Minal in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Minal?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Minal leans strongly female. 1,018 people counted with this name were female (97.0%), compared with 32 male bearers (3.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Minal?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Minal is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Black (1.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Minal most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Minal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (993 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Minal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Minal a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Minal 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.
Is Minal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Minal 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 Minal 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.
How many people are called Minal?
You can see how many people have the name Minal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.