Sakhani
A feminine Hindu name meaning "girlfriend" or "friend".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Sakhani. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sakhani today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sakhani births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sakhani. 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 Sakhani. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,774
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Sakhani: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sakhani 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 Sakhani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sakhani
The name Sakhani is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Gujarat, India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sakha," which means "friend" or "companion." The name's roots can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used to refer to close companions or disciples of spiritual leaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sakhani can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem dating back to the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there is a character named Sakhani, who is described as a loyal friend and companion to one of the central figures.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sakhani. One such figure was Sakhani Maharaj (1080-1162 CE), a revered Hindu saint and spiritual leader from Gujarat. He was known for his teachings on devotion and selfless service, and his followers established the Sakhani Panth, a religious movement that continues to exist today.
Another prominent figure with the name Sakhani was Sakhani Vithoji (1630-1690 CE), a Marathi poet and saint from the Indian state of Maharashtra. He is renowned for his contribution to the Varkari tradition, a devotional movement within Hinduism, and his works continue to be widely read and celebrated.
In the realm of literature, Sakhani Munshi (1778-1848 CE) was a renowned Urdu poet and writer from Delhi, India. He is best known for his poetry collection "Diwan-e-Sakhani," which showcased his mastery of the Urdu language and his unique literary style.
Moving to more modern times, Sakhani Ganapatrao Maharaj (1888-1963 CE) was a prominent spiritual leader and social reformer from Maharashtra, India. He worked tirelessly to promote education and uplift marginalized communities, and his teachings on compassion and equality continue to inspire many.
Throughout its history, the name Sakhani has been associated with qualities such as friendship, companionship, devotion, and spiritual enlightenment. While its origins can be traced back to ancient India, the name has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, carrying with it a rich tapestry of meanings and associations.
People
Sakhani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sakhani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sakhani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sakhani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sakhani 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 Sakhani a common name?
We classify Sakhani 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 Sakhani most popular?
The single biggest year for Sakhani was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sakhani is about 7 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 Sakhani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sakhani a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sakhani 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 Sakhani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sakhani 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 Sakhani 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 have Sakhani as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Sakhani, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.