Mugilan
A masculine Tamil name meaning "season of bloom" or "blossom".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mugilan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mugilan today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mugilan births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mugilan. 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 Mugilan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,845
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Mugilan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mugilan 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 Mugilan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mugilan
The name Mugilan has its origins in the Tamil language, which is spoken predominantly in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. The name is derived from the Tamil word "mugil," which means "cloud" or "fog," and the suffix "-an," which is a common masculine ending in Tamil names.
Historically, the name Mugilan has been associated with various literary works and religious texts in the Tamil tradition. One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Sangam literature, a body of ancient Tamil literature dating back to the early centuries of the common era. The name appears in several poems and literary works from this period, often used as a poetic metaphor for the changing seasons or the beauty of nature.
In the realm of Tamil mythology, there are references to a character named Mugilan in the Puranic stories and folk tales. However, the details of this character's significance and role in the mythological narratives are not widely documented.
The earliest recorded instances of individuals bearing the name Mugilan can be traced back to the medieval period in the Tamil region. One notable figure was Mugilan Azhagar, a 12th-century Tamil scholar and poet who wrote extensively on Tamil grammar and literature. His works, such as "Mugilan Azhagar Nool," are still studied and revered in Tamil literary circles.
Another prominent individual with the name Mugilan was Mugilan Perumal Naicker, a 17th-century Tamil chieftain and military leader who played a significant role in the resistance against the colonial powers in the region. His bravery and leadership skills earned him a place in the annals of Tamil history.
In more recent times, Mugilan Kumaran, a 20th-century Tamil writer and activist, gained recognition for his literary works and his advocacy for Tamil rights and self-determination. His novels and short stories explored themes of social justice and the Tamil identity.
Other notable individuals with the name Mugilan include Mugilan Selvaraj, a contemporary Tamil film director and screenwriter known for his critically acclaimed movies; Mugilan Krishnasamy, a Malaysian-Tamil entrepreneur and philanthropist; and Mugilan Thiyagarajan, a Tamil mathematician and computer scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of algorithm design and analysis.
While the name Mugilan has its roots in the Tamil language and culture, it has also been adopted and used by individuals in other parts of India and the Tamil diaspora around the world, reflecting the rich diversity and linguistic heritage of the region.
People
Mugilan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mugilan 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
Mugilan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mugilan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mugilan 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 Mugilan a common name?
We classify Mugilan 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 Mugilan most popular?
The single biggest year for Mugilan was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mugilan is about 17 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 Mugilan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mugilan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mugilan 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 Mugilan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mugilan 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 Mugilan 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 Americans are named Mugilan?
Want to know how many Americans are named Mugilan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.