Given name & surname
Malini
“a gardener”
Malini is used as a given name and a surname. One Indian interpretation is “a gardener.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Indian interpretation is “a gardener.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Indian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1973. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Malini through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 327
- 0 boys · 327 girls
- Most popular year
- 2004
- 18 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 7 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 18 in 2004. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,098 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Malini’s family of names
Malini has a related form in Malinee. Malini has a related form in Malinea. Malini has a related form in Maliney.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Malini
- Malini AwasthiIndian singerborn 1967
- Malini FonsekaSri Lankan actor-politician1947–2025
- Malini RajurkarIndian singer1941–2023
- Malini NobhadaraThai princess1885–1924
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Malini, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Mallika
“resembling jasmine”
>99% girls
Mohini
“a fascinating or bewitching woman” · “the most beautiful”
>99% girls
Manasa
“having great strength of mind”
>99% girls
Mitali
“a friendly and sweet woman” · “a beloved friend”
>99% girls
Shalini
“one who is modest”
>99% girls
Malay
“from the mountain”
>99% girls
Harini
“resembling a deer”
>99% girls
Maliha
“a beautiful woman of great strength”
>99% girls