Oumy
A feminine name of Wolof origin meaning "life" or "existence".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Oumy. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oumy today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oumy births was 2014 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oumy. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oumy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
2014
6 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2020 SSA rank
#16,912
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Oumy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oumy from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Oumy remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oumy 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 Oumy 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 Oumy
The name Oumy is of West African origin, specifically from the Wolof language spoken in Senegal and The Gambia. It is derived from the Arabic name Umm, meaning "mother" or "source." The earliest recorded usage of the name Oumy dates back to the 13th century during the spread of Islam in West Africa.
In Wolof culture, names often carry significant cultural and spiritual meanings. Oumy is associated with nurturing, protection, and fertility, reflecting the reverence for motherhood in traditional Wolof society. The name has been found inscribed on ancient manuscripts and historical documents from the region.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Oumy was Oumy Khayri, a renowned Wolof poet and scholar who lived in the 15th century. Her works, which celebrated the beauty of the Wolof language and culture, have been preserved and studied by literary scholars.
Another notable figure was Oumy Ndiaye, a 17th-century Wolof princess renowned for her bravery and leadership during a period of conflict. She is celebrated in oral traditions and historical accounts for her strategic military prowess and her unwavering commitment to protecting her people.
In the 19th century, Oumy Tall, a Wolof spiritual leader and healer, gained widespread recognition for her expertise in traditional medicine and her profound wisdom. She is credited with preserving numerous ancient healing practices and passing them down to future generations.
Oumy Ndiaye Ba, born in 1876, was a pioneering Senegalese educator and advocate for women's rights. She established one of the first schools for girls in Dakar and played a crucial role in promoting education and empowerment for women in West Africa.
More recently, Oumy Ndour, born in 1952, is a celebrated Senegalese singer and musician. Her powerful voice and captivating performances have earned her international acclaim, and she is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary Senegalese music.
While the name Oumy has its roots in West Africa, it has transcended cultural boundaries and is now found in various parts of the world, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and migration.
People
Oumy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oumy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oumy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oumy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oumy 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Oumy a common name?
We classify Oumy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oumy most popular?
The single biggest year for Oumy was 2014, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oumy is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oumy a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oumy 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.
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.