Vimal
Spotless, immaculate, pure of Sanskrit origin.
Name Census estimates that about 93 living Americans carry the first name Vimal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vimal today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vimal births was 1987 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vimal. 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 Vimal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
93
~ 1 in 3,685,531 Americans
Peak year
1987
12 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1997 SSA rank
#10,752
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Vimal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vimal from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 62 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Vimal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vimal 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 Vimal 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 Vimal
The name Vimal has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the linguistic foundation for many modern South Asian languages. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "vimala," which translates to "pure," "spotless," or "immaculate." The name's roots can be traced back to the ancient Hindu scriptures, where it was often used to describe individuals of exceptional moral character or spiritual purity.
In the sacred Hindu texts, Vimal was sometimes used as an epithet for deities, particularly those associated with purity, wisdom, and enlightenment. One notable example is found in the Bhagavad Gita, where the name is mentioned in reference to Lord Krishna, revered as an avatar of the divine.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Vimal date back to the 6th century BCE, during the flourishing period of the Vedic civilization in the Indian subcontinent. Ancient inscriptions and historical records from this era provide evidence of individuals bearing the name Vimal, suggesting its enduring popularity and cultural significance.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Vimal. One prominent example is Vimal Suri, a Jain scholar and prolific writer who lived in the 6th century CE. His extensive literary works, including commentaries on Jain scriptures, have had a profound impact on the Jain tradition.
Another influential figure was Vimal Mitra, a renowned Buddhist scholar and translator who lived in the 8th century CE. He played a crucial role in the dissemination of Buddhist teachings and the translation of sacred texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan, facilitating the spread of Buddhism across the Himalayan regions.
In the realm of literature, Vimal Bhatt, a 16th-century Kashmiri poet, is celebrated for his poetic compositions in the Kashmiri language. His works, which often centered on themes of love and spirituality, have left an indelible mark on the literary heritage of the region.
The name Vimal has also been associated with figures in the modern era. Vimal Shah, an Indian businessman and philanthropist born in 1932, is known for his contributions to the field of education and social welfare initiatives in India.
Lastly, Vimal Nanavati, an Indian naval officer born in 1920, gained notoriety for his involvement in the infamous Nanavati case, a high-profile criminal trial that captivated the nation and sparked debates around the legal system and societal norms in India.
People
Vimal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vimal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vimal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vimal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 93 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vimal 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 3,685,531 US residents.
Is Vimal a common name?
We classify Vimal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 97 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vimal most popular?
The single biggest year for Vimal was 1987, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vimal is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vimal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vimal 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.