Shalini
A feminine name from Sanskrit meaning "woman of waving hair".
Name Census estimates that about 752 living Americans carry the first name Shalini. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shalini today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shalini births was 2000 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shalini. 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
752
~ 1 in 455,790 Americans
Peak year
2000
29 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2020 SSA rank
#14,844
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Shalini: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shalini from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 221 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
Shalini 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 Shalini during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shalinis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Shalini, while Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 27 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shalini
The name Shalini originates from the Sanskrit language, and its roots can be traced back to ancient India. Sanskrit, one of the oldest documented languages, was the literary language of the Indian subcontinent and played a pivotal role in the development of Hindu culture and philosophy.
Shalini is a feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "shalina," which means "gentle" or "modest." The name's origin reflects the cultural emphasis on virtues such as gentleness, modesty, and grace that were highly valued in traditional Indian society, particularly for women.
Historically, the name Shalini has been mentioned in various Hindu religious texts and scriptures, including the Vedas and the Puranas. It was a prevalent name among the upper classes and aristocratic families in ancient India, symbolizing the desirable qualities of a woman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shalini can be found in the epic poem Mahabharata, where it was the name of a character. This ancient Sanskrit text, dated between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE, is considered one of the longest epic poems in the world and a significant work of Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Shalini. One such figure was Shalini Puri (1937-2004), an eminent Indian classical dancer and choreographer who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms.
Another prominent Shalini was Shalini Devi (1925-2007), an Indian actress and dancer who gained fame in the 1940s and 1950s for her performances in Bollywood films. She was known for her graceful dance moves and became a celebrated figure in the Indian film industry.
Shalini Rajneesh (1958-2017) was a spiritual leader and the former chief minister of the controversial Rajneesh movement. She played a significant role in the organization and was known for her leadership and administrative skills.
Shalini Bharat (born 1971) is an Indian politician and social activist who has been actively involved in women's empowerment and the promotion of education in rural areas. She has served as a member of the Indian Parliament and has been recognized for her efforts in addressing social issues.
Shalini Pandey (born 1994) is a contemporary Indian actress who has gained popularity for her roles in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her debut in the critically acclaimed movie "Arjun Reddy" in 2017 and has since appeared in several successful productions, showcasing her acting talent.
People
Shalini + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shalini 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
Shalini: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shalini?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 752 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shalini 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 455,790 US residents.
Is Shalini a common name?
We classify Shalini as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 784 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shalini most popular?
The single biggest year for Shalini was 2000, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shalini is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shalini a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shalini 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.