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Shalimar

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How to Pronounce Shalimar

Pronounced SHAL-ih-mar /ˈʃælɪmɑr/Medium

Meaning: Shalimar is best known from the Mughal Shalimar Gardens near Lahore and in Kashmir, whose name is usually traced to Sanskrit roots read as 'abode of love'. Guerlain's celebrated 1925 perfume Shalimar spread the word in the West, and it was this fragrant, romantic association that carried it into occasional use as a girl's given name.Low

In 30 seconds: Shalimar recalls the Mughal Shalimar Gardens - a Sanskrit name often read as 'abode of love' - and the classic Guerlain perfume. It was an exotic, rare choice (said 'SHAL-ih-mar').

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Origin LowSanskrit

MeaningShalimar is best known from the Mughal Shalimar Gardens near Lahore and in Kashmir, whose name is usually traced to Sanskrit roots read as 'abode of love'. Guerlain's celebrated 1925 perfume Shalimar spread the word in the West, and it was this fragrant, romantic association that carried it into occasional use as a girl's given name.

U.S. rank (2015)#18709 ↗ Rising

2015 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2012

Total births (all-time)≈ 639

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Shalimar traces to the Shalimar Gardens, the terraced Mughal pleasure gardens near Lahore and in Kashmir, whose name is generally explained from Sanskrit as an 'abode of love'. The word reached Western ears above all through Shalimar, the landmark Guerlain perfume of 1925, and it is this luxurious, romantic aura - garden and fragrance together - that occasionally made it a given name.

As a birth name Shalimar was always a curiosity, appearing thinly from the 1950s and touching about thirty girls a year around 2012. It behaves like a word-name borrowed for its beauty rather than a family tradition, and it remains rare and unmistakably evocative.

Did you know? Guerlain launched a perfume called Shalimar in 1925, naming it for the Mughal gardens of the same name; decades later a few American parents borrowed the word for a daughter, giving her a scent, a garden and a phrase for 'abode of love' all at once.

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Shalimar Gardens / Guerlain — Mughal gardens, Sanskrit 'abode of love'; Guerlain perfume 1925

Variations

ShalamarShalimareShalymarChalimarShalima

Nicknames

ShaliMar

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shalimar…

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shalimar mean?

Shalimar comes from the Mughal Shalimar Gardens, a name traced to Sanskrit roots read as 'abode of love'.

How do you pronounce Shalimar?

It is said SHAL-ih-mar /ˈʃælɪmɑr/, three syllables stressed on the first.

Is Shalimar a boy or girl name?

Shalimar is used as a girl's name.

How popular is the name Shalimar?

Shalimar has always been very rare, an evocative word-name tied to the famous gardens and perfume.