Girl · #12,180 in 2026

Mahli

The Mahali are a small ethnic group living in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Basketry is their main occupation. and in the northern districts of Rajshahi, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Sylhet of Bangladesh. They speak the Mahali language, which belongs to the Munda group, and many of them also know Odia, Santali, Bengali, and Hindi.

  • Biblical
Current Rank
#12,180
Peak Rank
#9,048 (2003)
Total Babies
113
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1996
First Year
2023
Last Year
2003
Peak Year
#9048
Peak Rank
113
Total Count
17
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mahli

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

The Mahali are a small ethnic group living in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Basketry is their main occupation. and in the northern districts of Rajshahi, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Sylhet of Bangladesh. They speak the Mahali language, which belongs to the Munda group, and many of them also know Odia, Santali, Bengali, and Hindi.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Biblical
Origin & history
They are caste who works as palanquin bearers and bamboo workers. They are divided into five endogamous subdivision: the bansphor Mahli, pahar mahli, Sulunkhi, Tanti and Mahli Munda. Their some septs are Barwar (banayan), Bhuktuar, dumriar (wild fig), gundli (a kind of grain), Induar (eel), Kantiar, Kasriar, Kathargachh (jackfruit tree), Kendriar, Kerketta (a bird), mahukal (a bird), Tirki, Tunduar, Turu, Lang Chenre, Sanga. Their four septs Hansda, Hemron, Murmu, Saren also found in Santal tribe.

The Story of Mahli

Mahli first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1996, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2003: 11 births, good for #9,048 nationwide. About 42% of every Mahli on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Mahli last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 113 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Variants & Related Forms of Mahli

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Mahli. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Mahli

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mahli is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mahli

What does the name Mahli mean?
The Mahali are a small ethnic group living in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Basketry is their main occupation. and in the northern districts of Rajshahi, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Rangpur and Sylhet of Bangladesh. They speak the Mahali language, which belongs to the Munda group, and many of them also know Odia, Santali, Bengali, and Hindi.
What is the origin of the name Mahli?
Mahli has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Biblical.
How popular is Mahli in 2026?
In 2026, Mahli ranks #12,180 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Mahli most popular?
Mahli reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #9,048 that year with 11 babies given the name.
Is Mahli a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Mahli is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Mahli?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mahli include Caledonia, Zinia, Danijela. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Mahli?
Common variants and related forms of Mahli include Mahali. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Caledonia
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Zinia
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👧
Danijela
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👧
Areliz
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👧
Gavriela
Peak #9048
👧
Brendaly
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Chinara
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Tolulope
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About the name Mahli

Mahli is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1996 and has accumulated 113 births in the dataset. Mahli's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #9,048. Use the chart and map above to compare Mahli's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.