Pallavi
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning a blossoming plant, a budding leaf.
Name Census estimates that about 348 living Americans carry the first name Pallavi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pallavi today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pallavi births was 1998 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pallavi. 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
348
~ 1 in 984,926 Americans
Peak year
1998
24 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2017 SSA rank
#17,804
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Pallavi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pallavi from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 158 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pallavi 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 Pallavi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pallavis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pallavi
The name Pallavi has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that was prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the word "pallava," which means a fresh leaf, sprout, or bud, symbolizing new beginnings and growth.
The name Pallavi gained prominence during the classical period of Indian history, particularly in the realm of music. It was the name given to the opening verse or lines of a song or musical composition in the Hindustani and Carnatic classical music traditions. These opening lines set the tone and mood for the rest of the piece.
One of the earliest known references to the name Pallavi can be found in the Natya Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts, written between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE. The text discusses the concept of Pallavi in the context of musical compositions.
In the 6th century CE, the renowned Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidasa mentioned the name Pallavi in his works, using it as a metaphor for beauty and grace. This further popularized the name and associated it with artistic and literary excellence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pallavi. One of the earliest was Pallavi Ranalukamalla (1055-1110 CE), a powerful ruler of the Kalyani Chalukya dynasty in present-day Karnataka, India. She was known for her patronage of arts and literature.
Another prominent figure was Pallavi Ghosh (1950-2017), an Indian classical vocalist and exponent of the Patiala gharana. She was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, for her contributions to music.
Pallavi Subramanian (born 1979) is a contemporary Indian classical dancer and choreographer, known for her innovative approach to the Bharatanatyam dance form. She has performed extensively worldwide and received numerous accolades.
Pallavi Purkayastha (1984-2012) was an Indian lawyer and victim of a high-profile murder case that sparked discussions on women's safety in India. Her tragic death brought attention to the issue of violence against women.
Pallavi Shroff (born 1955) is a renowned Indian lawyer and managing partner of the prestigious law firm Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas. She is widely recognized for her expertise in corporate law and has been featured on several prestigious lists of influential women.
People
Pallavi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pallavi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pallavi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pallavi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 348 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pallavi 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 984,926 US residents.
Is Pallavi a common name?
We classify Pallavi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 358 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pallavi most popular?
The single biggest year for Pallavi was 1998, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pallavi is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pallavi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pallavi 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.