Padme
A feminine name of unverified origin, possibly meaning "lotus" or "lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 204 living Americans carry the first name Padme. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Padme today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Padme births was 2017 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Padme. 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
204
~ 1 in 1,680,168 Americans
Peak year
2017
19 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,834
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Padme: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Padme 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 100 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Padme remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Padme 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 Padme during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Padmes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Padme
The name Padme has its origins in the Sanskrit language and ancient Indian culture, with roots dating back to around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "padma," meaning lotus flower, which held significant symbolic value in Hindu mythology and iconography.
In ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, the lotus flower is often associated with purity, divine beauty, and spiritual enlightenment. The name Padme may have been bestowed upon individuals in reverence to these symbolic meanings, perhaps reflecting a wish for the bearer to embody such qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Padme can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem composed between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. The name appears as a minor character, though the specific details surrounding this individual are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Padme. One such figure was Padme Sambhava (c. 717-762 CE), a revered Buddhist master and founder of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. His teachings and influence played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism across the Himalayan regions.
Another prominent Padme was Padme Husain (1739-1790), a celebrated Indian poet and mystic from the Mughal era. Her poetic works, written in Braj Bhasha, a literary dialect of Hindi, explored themes of devotion, love, and spiritual longing. Her poetry continues to be celebrated and studied to this day.
In the late 19th century, Padme Vati (1871-1947) was a pioneering Indian educator and social reformer. She founded several schools for girls in Rajasthan and worked tirelessly to promote women's education and empowerment in a time when such endeavors were met with significant resistance.
Padme Wangmo (1922-2007) was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist nun and scholar. She played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of the Nyingma tradition, and her efforts contributed significantly to the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist culture in the face of political upheaval and exile.
While not an exhaustive list, these individuals represent a diverse array of historical figures who have borne the name Padme, each leaving a lasting impact in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of global culture and history.
People
Padme + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Padme as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Padme: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Padme?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 204 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Padme 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 1,680,168 US residents.
Is Padme a common name?
We classify Padme as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 206 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Padme most popular?
The single biggest year for Padme was 2017, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Padme is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Padme a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Padme 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.