Karmah
A feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "karma", meaning actions or deeds.
Name Census estimates that about 199 living Americans carry the first name Karmah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Karmah today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karmah births was 2008 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karmah. 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
199
~ 1 in 1,722,384 Americans
Peak year
2008
21 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,471
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Karmah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Karmah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 122 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Karmah 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 Karmah 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 Karmah
The name Karmah has its origins rooted in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of the Indian subcontinent and the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Karma," which refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, the cycle of actions and their consequences.
In Hinduism and Buddhism, Karma is a central concept that governs the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. It is believed that the actions and intentions of an individual in their present life determine their experiences and circumstances in their future lives. The name Karmah, therefore, carries a profound spiritual significance, reflecting the belief in the universal law of cause and effect.
While the name Karmah is not explicitly mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures or Buddhist texts, it is closely tied to the philosophical and spiritual concepts that form the foundation of these religions. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where it was likely used as a name imbued with spiritual meaning and a reminder of the importance of living a virtuous life.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Karmah. One such example is Karmah Devi, a 16th-century Indian queen and poet from the Rajput kingdom of Mewar. She is renowned for her poetic works, which often explored themes of love, devotion, and spirituality.
Another prominent figure is Karmah Wangchuk, a 17th-century Bhutanese Buddhist lama and spiritual leader. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism in Bhutan and is revered for his teachings and contributions to the preservation of Buddhist traditions.
In the 19th century, Karmah Singh was a renowned Sikh warrior and military commander who fought against the British East India Company during the Anglo-Sikh Wars. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him a place in the annals of Sikh history.
More recently, Karmah Tsedroen was a 20th-century Tibetan Buddhist nun and scholar who gained recognition for her extensive knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and her contributions to the preservation of Tibetan culture and traditions after the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Karmah Devi, an Indian singer and actress from the mid-20th century, was also a notable bearer of this name. She was celebrated for her versatile performances in both classical and popular music genres, as well as her appearances in several Bollywood films.
While the name Karmah has its roots in ancient Indian languages and spiritual traditions, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity worldwide, carrying with it the profound meaning of the universal law of cause and effect and the importance of living a virtuous and mindful life.
People
Karmah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karmah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Karmah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karmah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 199 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karmah 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 1,722,384 US residents.
Is Karmah a common name?
We classify Karmah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 201 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karmah most popular?
The single biggest year for Karmah was 2008, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karmah is about 13 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 Karmah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karmah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karmah 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 Karmah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karmah 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 Karmah 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 are named Karmah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.