Shivai
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "consort of Shiva".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Shivai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shivai today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shivai births was 2017 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shivai. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Shivai with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shivai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2017
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,004
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Shivai: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shivai 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 Shivai 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shivai
The name Shivai is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world and the primary language of Hinduism. It is derived from the word "Shiva," which is the name of one of the principal deities in Hinduism, the Supreme God of transformation, destruction, and regeneration.
The name Shivai is closely associated with the Hindu religion and culture, and it is often used as a name for Hindu children, particularly in India and other regions with a significant Hindu population. It is a name that is believed to invoke the blessings and protection of Lord Shiva, one of the most revered and powerful gods in the Hindu pantheon.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Shivai can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Puranas. These texts, which date back thousands of years, contain references to Lord Shiva and his various forms and manifestations, including the name Shivai.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Shivai. One of the earliest recorded examples is Shivai Nayak, a 16th-century ruler of the Madurai Nayak dynasty in South India, who lived from approximately 1530 to 1572. He was known for his patronage of the arts and architecture, and several important temples and monuments were constructed during his reign.
Another notable figure with the name Shivai was Shivai Malhar, a 17th-century Indian classical musician and composer from the Gwalior Gharana, who lived from approximately 1640 to 1708. He is credited with developing and popularizing several ragas and compositions that are still performed and celebrated in Indian classical music today.
In the 18th century, Shivai Rao Holkar was a prominent military leader and ruler of the Maratha Empire in India. He lived from 1693 to 1767 and was known for his military campaigns and conquests, as well as his strategic alliances with other Maratha rulers.
In more recent times, Shivai Shankar Menon was an Indian diplomat and former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India. He was born in 1949 and served in various diplomatic roles, including as India's Ambassador to China and Pakistan, before being appointed as the National Security Advisor in 2010.
Another notable figure with the name Shivai is Shivai Pandian, an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked in the Tamil film industry. He was born in 1972 and is known for his critically acclaimed films, such as "Thamizhan" and "Malaikottai."
People
Shivai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shivai 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
Shivai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shivai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shivai 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Shivai a common name?
We classify Shivai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shivai most popular?
The single biggest year for Shivai was 2017, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shivai is about 9 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 Shivai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shivai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shivai 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 Shivai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shivai 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 Shivai 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 share the name Shivai?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.