Shalimar
An Indian feminine name referring to a legendary Mughal gardens in Kashmir.
Name Census estimates that about 606 living Americans carry the first name Shalimar. It is a predominantly female name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Shalimar today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shalimar births was 2012 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shalimar. 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
606
~ 1 in 565,601 Americans
Peak year
2012
29 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1979 SSA rank
#6,917
Tracked since 1954
Gender
Gender distribution for Shalimar
Out of the 644 babies given the name Shalimar since 1880, 99.2% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Shalimar as a male name
- Ranked #6,917 in 1979
- 5 male births in 1979
- Peak: 1979 (5 births)
Shalimar as a female name
- Ranked #18,709 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 2012 (29 births)
Popularity
Shalimar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shalimar from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 182 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shalimar 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 Shalimar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shalimars live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Florida recorded the most babies named Shalimar, while Florida, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shalimar
The name Shalimar has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is believed to be derived from the Persian words "shalī" meaning "abode" and "mār" meaning "air" or "cool breeze," resulting in the combined meaning of "abode of coolness" or "dwelling of love."
In the 17th century, the name gained prominence as the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan constructed the famous Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan, as a tribute to his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. These exquisite gardens were designed to evoke a sense of paradise on earth, with their intricate water features, lush greenery, and architectural marvels.
The name Shalimar has been mentioned in various literary works and historical accounts throughout the ages. One notable reference is in the epic poem "Lalla Rookh" by Thomas Moore, published in 1817, where the name is associated with a beautiful princess.
The earliest recorded example of the name Shalimar can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was used as a name for a Persian princess. Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne this name, including:
1. Shalimar Ali (born 1969), a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1990s.
2. Shalimar Gardens (born 1979), an American singer and actress of mixed Native American and African American descent.
3. Shalimar Bagh (1630-1640), the name given to a famous Mughal garden in Delhi, India, commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan.
4. Shalimar Parfum Initial (1925), a fragrance created by the French perfume house Guerlain, named after the famous Shalimar Gardens.
5. Shalimar Sharaf (born 1957), an Indian actress known for her work in Bollywood films during the 1970s and 1980s.
The name Shalimar has transcended cultural boundaries and has been adopted by various communities around the world, each imbuing it with their own unique cultural significance and interpretations.
People
Shalimar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shalimar 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
Shalimar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shalimar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 606 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shalimar 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 565,601 US residents.
Is Shalimar a common name?
We classify Shalimar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 644 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shalimar most popular?
The single biggest year for Shalimar was 2012, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shalimar is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shalimar a female name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Shalimar 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.