Sani
A masculine Arabic name meaning "bright" or "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 497 living Americans carry the first name Sani. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 76.1% of registrations being female. The average person named Sani today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sani births was 2007 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sani. 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
497
~ 1 in 689,647 Americans
Peak year
2007
39 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,390
Tracked since 2000
Gender
Gender distribution for Sani
Sani is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 502 total registrations, 120 (23.9%) were male and 382 (76.1%) were female.
Sani as a male name
- Ranked #6,390 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (14 births)
Sani as a female name
- Ranked #10,117 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (32 births)
Popularity
Sani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 230 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Sani remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sani 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 Sani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Florida recorded the most babies named Sani, while New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sani
The name Sani has its origins in the Sanskrit language of ancient India, where it is believed to have emerged around the 2nd century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "shani," which refers to the planet Saturn in Hindu astrology and mythology. In Sanskrit texts, Sani is personified as the deity Shani, the lord of obstacles and hardships.
Sani is a widely used name across various regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly among Hindus and Buddhists. It is often given to children born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn or on the day associated with Saturn, known as Shanivar (Saturday).
The name Sani can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Puranas and the Vedas, where it is mentioned in the context of astrology and planetary deities. One notable reference is in the Brihat Samhita, an ancient Sanskrit text on astrology and architecture, written by the sage Varahamihira in the 6th century CE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Sani. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sani Bhaskar, a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 7th century CE and made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry.
Another notable figure is Sani Maharaj (1928-2017), a revered Hindu spiritual leader and founder of the Sani Ashram in Shirdi, India. He was widely respected for his teachings on spirituality and devotion to the deity Shani.
In the realm of literature, Sani Gurumurti (1878-1948) was a celebrated Kannada poet and writer from the Indian state of Karnataka. His works, including the epic poem "Rayara Vamshavali," are considered classics of Kannada literature.
Sani Shylendranath (1914-1996) was a renowned Indian historian and author, best known for his acclaimed biography of the Mughal emperor Akbar, titled "The Reign of Akbar."
Lastly, Sani Pering (1935-2002) was a prominent Malaysian artist and sculptor, renowned for his intricate wood carvings depicting traditional Malay culture and mythology.
These examples illustrate the rich history and cultural significance of the name Sani across various regions and disciplines in India and beyond.
People
Sani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sani 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
Sani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 497 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sani 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 689,647 US residents.
Is Sani a common name?
We classify Sani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 502 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sani most popular?
The single biggest year for Sani was 2007, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sani is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sani a female name?
Yes, 76.1% of people registered as Sani 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.