Chamya
A feminine name of Sinhala origin meaning "moonlight" or "moon beam".
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the first name Chamya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chamya today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chamya births was 2003 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chamya. 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.
People living today
117
~ 1 in 2,929,524 Americans
Peak year
2003
16 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,465
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Chamya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chamya from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chamya 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 Chamya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chamya
The name Chamya has its origins in Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that traces its roots back to the Indian subcontinent over 3,500 years ago. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "chāmī," which means "beautiful" or "radiant." The name is believed to have been popular among the noble and aristocratic families of ancient India.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Chamya can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic that dates back to around the 8th or 9th century BCE. In this ancient text, Chamya is described as the name of a beautiful princess renowned for her grace and charm.
Throughout the centuries, the name Chamya has been associated with several notable historical figures. In the 7th century CE, Chamya was the name of a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who contributed significantly to the development of Indian literature. Her works are still studied and celebrated by scholars today.
During the Gupta Empire, which ruled over parts of the Indian subcontinent from the 4th to the 6th century CE, a queen consort named Chamya was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for Buddhist monasteries and temples.
In the 12th century, Chamya was the name of a celebrated Kashmiri poetess whose works were widely admired for their lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Her poetry explored themes of love, spirituality, and the natural world.
Another notable figure named Chamya was a 16th-century Rajput princess who was renowned for her bravery and skill as a warrior. She played a pivotal role in defending her kingdom against invaders and is celebrated in folklore and historical accounts.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the name Chamya throughout history. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit, the name has endured and been embraced across various cultures and time periods, a testament to its timeless beauty and appeal.
People
Chamya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chamya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chamya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chamya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 117 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chamya 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 2,929,524 US residents.
Is Chamya a common name?
We classify Chamya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 119 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chamya most popular?
The single biggest year for Chamya was 2003, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chamya is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Chamya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chamya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chamya 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 Chamya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chamya 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 Chamya 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Chamya?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Chamya on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.