Pema
A Sanskrit feminine name meaning "the lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the first name Pema. It is a predominantly female name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Pema today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pema births was 2017 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pema. 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
235
~ 1 in 1,458,529 Americans
Peak year
2017
18 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2019 SSA rank
#10,053
Tracked since 2001
Gender
Gender distribution for Pema
Pema leans heavily female at 94.9% of total registrations, but 12 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Pema as a male name
- Ranked #11,776 in 2019
- 6 male births in 2019
- Peak: 2017 (6 births)
Pema as a female name
- Ranked #10,053 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (15 births)
Popularity
Pema: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pema 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. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Pema remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pema 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 Pema during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pemas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pema
The name Pema has its origins in the Tibetan language and culture, where it has been used for centuries. The name is derived from the word "padma," which means "lotus" in Sanskrit. The lotus flower holds significant symbolism in Buddhism, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
Pema is a popular name among Tibetan Buddhists, as it is associated with the Buddhist deity Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche. Padmasambhava is revered as the second Buddha and is credited with establishing Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century AD. The name Pema is often given to children in honor of this influential figure.
The earliest recorded use of the name Pema dates back to the 8th century AD in Tibetan Buddhist texts and historical records. One of the most renowned individuals with this name is Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), a Tibetan Buddhist tertön (treasure revealer) and terton (treasure master) who discovered and revealed several important Buddhist teachings and practices.
Another notable figure is Pema Tshering (1770-1845), a Bhutanese Buddhist lama and the founder of the Pema Lingpa school of Nyingma Buddhism. He was influential in preserving and promoting Tibetan Buddhist traditions in Bhutan.
In more recent history, Pema Chödrön (born 1936) is a renowned American Buddhist nun, author, and teacher. She has written several bestselling books on Buddhist philosophy and mindfulness, including "When Things Fall Apart" and "The Places That Scare You."
Pema Dondhup (1928-2011) was a Tibetan politician and diplomat who served as the first kalön tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan government-in-exile from 1991 to 1993.
Pema Tseden (born 1969) is a renowned Tibetan filmmaker and writer, known for his critically acclaimed films that explore Tibetan culture and identity, such as "The Silent Holy Stones" and "Jinpa."
The name Pema continues to be popular among Tibetan Buddhists and those with an appreciation for Buddhist teachings and traditions. It carries a rich cultural and spiritual significance, representing the lotus flower's symbolism of purity, enlightenment, and spiritual growth.
People
Pema + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pema 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
Pema: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pema?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 235 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pema 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 1,458,529 US residents.
Is Pema a common name?
We classify Pema as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 237 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pema most popular?
The single biggest year for Pema was 2017, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pema is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pema a female name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Pema 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.