Tila
A feminine Sanskrit name meaning "sesame seed".
Name Census estimates that about 439 living Americans carry the first name Tila. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tila today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tila births was 2008 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tila. 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
439
~ 1 in 780,762 Americans
Peak year
2008
34 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,021
Tracked since 1930
Popularity
Tila: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tila from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 146 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
Tila 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 Tila during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tilas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tila
The name Tila is believed to have its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Thilaka," which means "a mark or dot on the forehead." This dot or mark is commonly associated with Hindu religious practices and is considered a symbol of spiritual awakening and enlightenment.
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the word "Thilaka" is mentioned in various contexts, often referring to the spiritual significance of the mark on the forehead. The earliest recorded use of the name Tila can be traced back to ancient Hindu traditions and religious texts.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Tila was Tila Devi, a Hindu mystic and spiritual teacher who lived in India during the 8th century CE. She was renowned for her teachings on spirituality and self-realization, and her followers revered her as a living embodiment of divine wisdom.
Another notable figure in history was Tila Saheb, a 14th-century Sufi saint and poet from the Deccan region of India. His spiritual verses and teachings on love and devotion to the divine are still cherished by many in the region.
In the realm of literature, Tila Satyanarayana was a prominent Telugu poet and writer from the 20th century. Born in 1909 and died in 1992, he was widely acclaimed for his contributions to Telugu literature and his efforts in preserving the rich cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh.
Tila Govindamma was an Indian freedom fighter and social reformer from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She played an active role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly to uplift the status of women in society.
Lastly, Tila Tequila, born Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen in 1981, is a Vietnamese-American model, television personality, and singer. While not of direct Indian or Sanskrit descent, her chosen stage name "Tila" reflects the global reach and popularity of the name.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Tila
People
Tila + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tila as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tila: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tila?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 439 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tila 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 780,762 US residents.
Is Tila a common name?
We classify Tila as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 463 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tila most popular?
The single biggest year for Tila was 2008, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tila is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tila a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tila 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.