How Many People Are Named Palani?
An estimated 28 people in the United States have the first name Palani. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 44 years old, and Palani peaked in popularity in 1994 with 8 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Palani as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Palani paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Palani is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
28
About 1 in 12,241,226 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
100.0% confidence
Average Age
44
years old
Peak Year
1994
8 births
Total Registered
30
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Palani
Palani is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 30 total births registered, 100.0% were male.
Palani as a male name
Ranked #6,811 in 1994
8 male births in 1994
Peak: 1994 (8 births)
Palani in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 151 people with the first name Palani, which placed it at #45,183 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Palani was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 151 people with this name in that snapshot, 92.7% were male and 7.3% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% male.
Census Count
151
people with this name
Census Rank
#45,183
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.05
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Palani was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (66.45%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (16.45%) and Hispanic (8.55%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Palani in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Palani.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 66.45% | 101 |
| Two or More Races | 16.45% | 25 |
| Hispanic | 8.55% | 13 |
| White | 3.95% | 6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.63% | 4 |
| Black | 1.97% | 3 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Palani: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Palani span from the 1970s to the 1990s, covering 3 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1970s, when 17 babies were registered. While Palani is less common than at its peak in the 1970s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Palani by Decade
How has Palani tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Palani by State
Palani + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Palani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Palani
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
Palani: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Palani?
We estimate approximately 28 people named Palani are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 12,241,226 Americans share this first name.
Is Palani a common name?
Palani is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 45.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 30 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Palani most popular?
Palani reached peak popularity in 1994, when 8 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Palani is approximately 44 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Palani in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 151 people with the first name Palani. That placed it at #45,183 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.05 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Palani was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Palani?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Palani was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 92.7% male and 7.3% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Palani?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Palani was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (66.45%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (16.45%) and Hispanic (8.55%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Palani a male name?
Palani is predominantly male. 100.0% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Palani have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Palani peaked in 1994, and the average living bearer is about 44 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Palani Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Palani Smith, Palani Johnson, Palani Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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