Given name & surname · also Sanskrit
Tulsi
“a holy man”
Tulsi is used as a given name and a surname. One Indian interpretation is “a holy man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Indian interpretation is “a holy man.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Sanskrit.
How it developed
The name draws on Sanskrit tulasi, meaning “holy basil”.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1987. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Tulsi through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 600
- 0 boys · 600 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 36 babies
- 2025
- 35
- #4,162 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +56%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 35 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,162 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 56.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 798 as a first name in 2020; 127 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tulsi’s family of names
Tulsi has a related form in Tulasi. Tulsi has a related form in Tulsea. Tulsi has a related form in Tulsee.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Tulsi
- Tulsi GabbardAmerican politician (born 1981)
- Tulsi KumarIndian singerborn 1986
- Tulsi GowdaIndian environmentalist1944–2024
- Tulsi LahiriIndian actor, film director, screenwriter and author (1897-1959)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tulsi, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Urvi
“earth”
>99% girls
Kashvi
“a shining man”
>99% girls
Shakti
“a divine woman; having power” · “a powerful man”
4% boys · 96% girls
Meenakshi
“having beautiful eyes”
>99% girls
Vaani
Vaani is a feminine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls
Mali
“a ruler; the firstborn son”
10% boys · 90% girls
Kalki
“resembling a white horse”
21% boys · 79% girls
Prapti
Prapti is a feminine given name from Sanskrit.
>99% girls