Nalina
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 151 living Americans carry the first name Nalina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nalina today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nalina births was 2014 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nalina. 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
151
~ 1 in 2,269,896 Americans
Peak year
2014
13 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,804
Tracked since 1981
Census
Nalina in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 220 people with the first name Nalina, which placed it at #36,203 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
#36,203
National first-name rank
People counted
220
220 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
44.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nalina
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nalina is Asian/Pacific Islander at 44.5%. The next largest groups are White (18.6%) and Hispanic (15.9%). 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 Nalina 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 Nalina at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander44.5% · 98
- White18.6% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino15.9% · 35
- Black or African American9.5% · 21
- Two or more races8.2% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.2% · 7
Popularity
Nalina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nalina from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 70 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nalina remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nalina 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 Nalina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nalinas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nalina
Nalina is a name of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word 'nalina,' which means 'lotus.' The name's roots can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts, where the lotus flower holds significant symbolic value, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nalina can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures, dating back to around 1500-1200 BCE. Here, the name is mentioned in association with the goddess Lakshmi, who is often depicted sitting on a lotus flower.
During the medieval period in India, the name Nalina gained popularity among the noble and scholarly classes. It was often bestowed upon individuals who were considered learned, wise, or spiritually inclined. One notable historical figure bearing this name was Nalina Kanta Ghosh (1876-1947), a renowned Bengali philosopher and educationist who founded the Brahmo Samaj movement, which aimed to reform Hindu practices and promote rational thinking.
In the realm of literature, the name Nalina has graced several notable figures. Nalina Sundari Devi (1876-1938) was a celebrated Bengali writer and poet, known for her contributions to the Brahmo Samaj literary tradition. Her works often explored themes of social reform and women's empowerment.
Another prominent figure was Nalina Ramalakshmi (1901-1988), an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer. She actively participated in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of women and the underprivileged.
In the field of performing arts, Nalina Jameela (1904-2000) was a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She played a pivotal role in reviving and promoting the classical dance form of Kathak, which had declined during the British colonial period.
While the name Nalina has its roots in Hindu culture, it has transcended religious and cultural boundaries, being adopted by people from various backgrounds around the world. Its association with the lotus flower and its symbolic significance have made it a popular choice for parents seeking a name that evokes purity, grace, and spiritual awakening.
People
Nalina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nalina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nalina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nalina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 151 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nalina 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 2,269,896 US residents.
Is Nalina a common name?
We classify Nalina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 153 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nalina most popular?
The single biggest year for Nalina was 2014, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nalina is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nalina in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 220 people with the name Nalina, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #36,203 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 Nalina 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 Nalina?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nalina leans strongly female. 213 people counted with this name were female (96.4%), compared with 8 male bearers (3.6%). 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 Nalina?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nalina is Asian/Pacific Islander at 44.5%. The next largest groups are White (18.6%) and Hispanic (15.9%). 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 Nalina most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Nalina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.5% (98 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 Nalina in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nalina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nalina 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 Nalina still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nalina 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 Nalina 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 have the name Nalina?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Nalina on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.