Montra
Of Thai origin, a feminine name meaning "supreme mantra" or "sacred chant".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Montra. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Montra today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Montra births was 1970 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Montra. 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 Montra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1970
6 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1992 SSA rank
#7,676
Tracked since 1922
Census
Montra in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 143 people with the first name Montra, which placed it at #46,519 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
#46,519
National first-name rank
People counted
143
143 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
58.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montra
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Montra is Black at 58.0%. The next largest groups are White (29.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). 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 Montra 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 Montra at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.0% · 83
- White29.4% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.0% · 10
- Two or more races4.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 2
Gender
Gender distribution for Montra
Montra is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 22 total registrations, 11 (50.0%) were male and 11 (50.0%) were female.
Montra as a male name
- Ranked #8,121 in 1992
- 6 male births in 1992
- Peak: 1992 (6 births)
Montra as a female name
- Ranked #7,676 in 1970
- 6 female births in 1970
- Peak: 1970 (6 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Montra on both sides of the split. Of the 143 people counted with this name, 65 were male (45.5%) and 78 were female (54.5%).
Popularity
Montra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Montra from the 1920s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Montra remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Montra 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 Montra 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 Montra
The name Montra has its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been a prominent linguistic influence in the Indian subcontinent. Derived from the Sanskrit word "mantra," which translates to "sacred utterance" or "sacred chant," the name Montra carries a spiritual significance rooted in the Hindu tradition.
In ancient Hindu scriptures, mantras were believed to hold immense power and were often recited during religious ceremonies, meditations, and rituals. The name Montra may have been bestowed upon individuals as a reminder of the profound wisdom and mystical vibrations associated with these sacred utterances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Montra can be traced back to the 4th century CE, when a Hindu sage named Montra Swami was revered for his exceptional spiritual teachings and his ability to compose powerful mantras. His teachings were recorded in ancient Sanskrit texts, and his name became synonymous with the pursuit of enlightenment.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Montra. In the 7th century, Montra Devi was a renowned Hindu priestess who played a significant role in preserving and propagating the ancient Vedic traditions. Her influence extended across the Indian subcontinent, and her teachings were highly regarded among spiritual seekers.
During the 12th century, a Sufi mystic named Montra Khan gained prominence in the region now known as Afghanistan. He was renowned for his poetic compositions, which often incorporated mystical themes and explored the nuances of the divine. His teachings inspired many followers and contributed to the spread of Sufism in the region.
In the 16th century, a renowned Sanskrit scholar named Montra Vidyalankar made significant contributions to the study and preservation of ancient Hindu texts. His detailed translations and commentaries on sacred scriptures became invaluable resources for scholars and spiritual seekers alike.
Another notable figure was Montra Bai, a 17th-century Hindu mystic and devotional singer from Maharashtra, India. Her soulful compositions, known as abhangs, were deeply rooted in the Bhakti tradition and celebrated the divine love for the divine. Her devotional poetry continues to inspire spiritual aspirants today.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Montra and have left an indelible mark on various spiritual and cultural traditions. The name's rich heritage and profound connections to sacred utterances and spiritual wisdom have endured across centuries, making it a name steeped in mystical significance.
People
Montra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Montra 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
Montra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Montra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Montra 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Montra a common name?
We classify Montra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Montra most popular?
The single biggest year for Montra was 1970, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Montra is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Montra in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 143 people with the name Montra, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #46,519 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 Montra 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 Montra?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Montra on both sides of the split. Of the 143 people counted with this name, 65 were male (45.5%) and 78 were female (54.5%). 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 Montra?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Montra is Black at 58.0%. The next largest groups are White (29.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.0%). 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 Montra most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Montra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.0% (83 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 Montra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Montra a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Montra 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 Montra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Montra 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 Montra 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 share the name Montra?
Find out how many people share the name Montra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.