Burma
A name of unknown meaning adopted for the country now called Myanmar.
Name Census estimates that about 271 living Americans carry the first name Burma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Burma today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Burma births was 1941 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Burma. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Burma is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Burmas were born before 1957.
People living today
271
~ 1 in 1,264,776 Americans
Peak year
1941
47 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1965 SSA rank
#5,878
Tracked since 1896
Census
Burma in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 424 people with the first name Burma, which placed it at #23,170 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#23,170
National first-name rank
People counted
424
424 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
71.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burma
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Burma is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Burma described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Burma at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.7% · 304
- Black or African American19.8% · 84
- Two or more races3.3% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 5
Popularity
Burma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Burma from the 1890s through to the 1960s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 309 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Burma by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Burma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Burmas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Alabama, Georgia, Florida recorded the most babies named Burma, while North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Burma
The name Burma has its origins in the ancient Pyu city-states of what is now modern-day Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is thought to be derived from the Pyu word "Byammā" which translates to "finely braided hair" or "beautifully coiffed". The Pyu people were one of the earliest civilizations to inhabit the region, flourishing between the 1st and 9th centuries AD.
The name is believed to have been first recorded in the 7th century AD on stone inscriptions found in the ancient Pyu city of Halingyi. These inscriptions reference a Pyu ruler named Byammā who was revered for her beauty and intricate hairstyles. Over time, the name was likely adopted and adapted by other ethnic groups in the region, leading to variations in spelling and pronunciation.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name was Queen Byammā of the Pyu Kingdom, who ruled in the 7th century AD. She is celebrated in Pyu mythology for her wisdom, compassion, and skill in diplomatic negotiations with neighboring kingdoms.
In the 11th century, a renowned Buddhist monk named Byammā Bala is said to have traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia, spreading the teachings of Buddhism. His writings and sermons are still studied and revered by many Buddhists today.
During the Bagan period (11th-13th centuries), there are records of a talented artist and architect named Byammā who is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several iconic Buddhist temples and pagodas, including the renowned Ananda Temple.
In the 16th century, a Burmese warrior and military strategist named Byammā Nyo is celebrated for her bravery and leadership in defending her homeland against foreign invaders. Her tactical skills and unwavering courage are said to have inspired generations of soldiers and leaders.
Throughout history, the name Burma has been associated with individuals of remarkable beauty, wisdom, artistic talent, and strength of character. While its origins can be traced back to the ancient Pyu civilization, it has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be cherished and celebrated across Myanmar and the broader region.
People
Burma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Burma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Burma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Burma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 271 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Burma going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,264,776 US residents.
Is Burma a common name?
We classify Burma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 931 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Burma most popular?
The single biggest year for Burma was 1941, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Burma is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Burma in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 424 people with the name Burma, or 0.14 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #23,170 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Burma in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Burma?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Burma leans strongly female. 406 people counted with this name were female (94.4%), compared with 24 male bearers (5.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Burma?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Burma is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Burma most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Burma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (304 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Burma in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Burma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Burma in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Burma still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Burma in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Burma can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many Americans are named Burma?
See how many Americans are named Burma on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.