Mumtaz
Originating from Persian, meaning "exquisite" or "unique".
Name Census estimates that about 295 living Americans carry the first name Mumtaz. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mumtaz today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mumtaz births was 2016 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mumtaz. 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
295
~ 1 in 1,161,879 Americans
Peak year
2016
24 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,789
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Mumtaz: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mumtaz from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 175 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mumtaz remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mumtaz 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 Mumtaz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mumtaz' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Mumtaz
The name Mumtaz has its roots in the Persian language, where it means "the chosen one" or "the exalted one." The name gained prominence during the Mughal era in India, which spanned from the 16th to the 19th century.
Mumtaz is derived from the Persian word "mumtāz," which means "distinguished" or "excellent." The name is often associated with grace, beauty, and elegance, reflecting the cultural values of the Mughal period.
One of the most famous historical references to the name Mumtaz is the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the modern world. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a mausoleum for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Her full name was Arjumand Banu Begum, but she was known by the title Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "the Exalted One of the Palace."
The earliest recorded use of the name Mumtaz can be traced back to the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. One notable figure from this period was Mumtaz Mahal Begum, the wife of Prince Daniyal Mirza, Akbar's son.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the name Mumtaz. One such figure was Mumtaz Begum (1908-1923), the last Crown Princess of the Ottoman Empire. Another was Mumtaz Shanti (1912-2005), an Indian classical singer and actress who received numerous awards for her contributions to music.
Mumtaz Qadri (1975-2016) was a Pakistani former police commando who assassinated the governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, in 2011. His actions sparked a national debate on blasphemy laws in Pakistan.
Mumtaz Jahan Begum (1542-1623) was a powerful woman who served as the chief minister and regent of the Mughal Empire during the reign of her son, Emperor Jahangir.
Mumtaz Begum (1924-2013) was an Indian actress and dancer who appeared in numerous Bollywood films and Parsi theater productions during the mid-20th century.
People
Mumtaz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mumtaz 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
Mumtaz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mumtaz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 295 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mumtaz 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 1,161,879 US residents.
Is Mumtaz a common name?
We classify Mumtaz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 297 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mumtaz most popular?
The single biggest year for Mumtaz was 2016, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mumtaz is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mumtaz a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mumtaz 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.
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.