Shalya
Shalya is a major character in the Mahabharata, one of two Sanskrit epics of Ancient India. He was a powerful king from the Bahlika clan, ruling over the Madra kingdom in the Northwest region of the Indian subcontinent. Although he was the brother of Madri, the wife of Pandu, Shalya sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.
Meaning & Origin of Shalya
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shalya is a major character in the Mahabharata, one of two Sanskrit epics of Ancient India. He was a powerful king from the Bahlika clan, ruling over the Madra kingdom in the Northwest region of the Indian subcontinent. Although he was the brother of Madri, the wife of Pandu, Shalya sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shalya
Shalya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1987, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 6 Shalyas were born — ranking #11,807 that year. As of 2026, Shalya ranks #15,031 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 27 Shalyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shalya
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shalya 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 Shalya
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About the name Shalya
Shalya is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1987 and has accumulated 27 births in the dataset. Shalya's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #11,807. Use the chart and map above to compare Shalya's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
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- Top names of 1996 →
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- 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.