Tuli
A feminine name derived from the Finnish word meaning "fire".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Tuli. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 76.2% of registrations being male. The average person named Tuli today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tuli births was 2024 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tuli. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tuli. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
2024
10 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,034
Tracked since 2019
Gender
Gender distribution for Tuli
Tuli is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 21 total registrations, 16 (76.2%) were male and 5 (23.8%) were female.
Tuli as a male name
- Ranked #14,034 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (6 births)
Tuli as a female name
- Ranked #17,437 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (5 births)
Popularity
Tuli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tuli from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 16 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tuli 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 Tuli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tuli
The given name Tuli finds its origins in the Sanskrit language, one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages spoken on the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "tula," meaning "balance" or "equilibrium," reflecting a sense of harmony and balance.
In ancient Indian texts, particularly those related to astrology and astronomy, the term "tula" was often used to refer to the zodiac sign Libra, represented by the symbol of a weighing scale. This cosmic connection imbued the name Tuli with a symbolic association with justice, fairness, and the pursuit of equilibrium in life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tuli can be traced back to the 7th century CE, when it was mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. The text references a character named Tuli, who was renowned for his wisdom and ability to maintain balance amidst the tumultuous events of the epic tale.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tuli. One such figure was Tuli Khan (1665-1729), a prominent military leader and governor in the Mughal Empire, known for his strategic acumen and his contribution to the expansion and consolidation of the empire's territories.
Another notable bearer of the name was Tuli Kupferberg (1923-2010), an American poet, cartoonist, and anarchist who was a pioneering figure in the Beat Generation literary movement. His works often explored themes of social justice, anti-authoritarianism, and the search for personal and societal equilibrium.
In the realm of sports, Tuli Tuipulotu (born 1982) is a former Australian rugby league player who represented the Tongan national team and played for various clubs in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. His athletic prowess and balanced playing style earned him recognition as one of the most talented players of his era.
Another noteworthy figure was Tuli Bakasi (1934-2010), an esteemed Indian actor and comedian known for his roles in Bollywood films and television shows. His ability to seamlessly balance humor and poignancy in his performances endeared him to audiences across generations.
Lastly, Tuli Banerjee (1936-2019) was a revered Indian sculptor and artist whose works were celebrated for their harmony of form and content. Her sculptures, often depicting human figures in peaceful poses, embodied the essence of balance and tranquility that the name Tuli represents.
People
Tuli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tuli 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
Tuli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tuli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tuli 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Tuli a common name?
We classify Tuli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tuli most popular?
The single biggest year for Tuli was 2024, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tuli is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tuli a male name?
Yes, 76.2% of people registered as Tuli 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.
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.