Mandolin
A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of eight strings. A variety of string types are used, with steel strings being the most common and usually the least expensive.
Meaning & Origin of Mandolin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of eight strings. A variety of string types are used, with steel strings being the most common and usually the least expensive.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Mandolin
Mandolin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1976, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 12 Mandolins were born — ranking #7,041 that year. As of 2026, Mandolin ranks #12,706 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 186 Mandolins have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Mandolin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mandolin 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 Mandolin
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About the name Mandolin
Mandolin is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 186 births in the dataset. Mandolin's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #7,041. Use the chart and map above to compare Mandolin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.