Mulani
A feminine name of unknown origin with uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 308 living Americans carry the first name Mulani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mulani today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mulani births was 2024 (73 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mulani. 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.
People living today
308
~ 1 in 1,112,839 Americans
Peak year
2024
73 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,472
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Mulani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mulani from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 238 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mulani 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 Mulani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mulanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, New York recorded the most babies named Mulani, while South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mulani
The name Mulani has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India and the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "mula," meaning "root" or "origin," and the feminine suffix "ni." The name likely emerged during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE, when Sanskrit was the predominant language of the Indian subcontinent.
Mulani is closely related to the Sanskrit name Mulika, which also derives from the root "mula" and refers to a woman from the root or origin. The name is found in various ancient Hindu texts, including the Puranas, which are a collection of mythological and historical narratives.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mulani can be found in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, dated between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In the epic, Mulani is mentioned as the name of a female character, although her role is relatively minor.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mulani. One of the most significant was Mulani Bhatta (c. 1550 - c. 1620), a renowned Hindu scholar and commentator on the Mimamsa school of Hindu philosophy. His works, such as the Tarkikaraksa and the Manameyodaya, were highly influential in the field of Indian logic and epistemology.
Another prominent figure was Mulani Devi (c. 1630 - c. 1700), a Rajput princess and warrior from the Mewar region of present-day Rajasthan, India. She was known for her bravery and military prowess, earning her the title of "Rani Mulani" (Queen Mulani) for her role in defending the Mewar kingdom against Mughal invaders.
In the 18th century, Mulani Saraswati (c. 1720 - c. 1790) was a renowned scholar and poet from the Kannada-speaking region of southern India. She composed numerous works in Kannada, including the Lilawati, a celebrated poem on the life of Lord Krishna.
Mulani Lal (c. 1830 - c. 1900) was a prominent social reformer and educator from the state of Punjab in northern India. He played a significant role in promoting education and advocating for the rights of women and the lower castes during the British colonial period.
Finally, Mulani Amma (c. 1870 - c. 1950) was a revered Tamil spiritual leader and poet from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She was known for her devotional poetry and her teachings on Bhakti (devotional worship), which attracted followers from across the region.
People
Mulani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mulani 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
Mulani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mulani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 308 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mulani 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 1,112,839 US residents.
Is Mulani a common name?
We classify Mulani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mulani most popular?
The single biggest year for Mulani was 2024, when 73 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mulani is about 5 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 Mulani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mulani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mulani 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 Mulani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mulani 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 Mulani 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 are named Mulani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.