Ramla
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "sandy place" or "sandy area".
Name Census estimates that about 261 living Americans carry the first name Ramla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ramla today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ramla births was 2015 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ramla. 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
261
~ 1 in 1,313,235 Americans
Peak year
2015
15 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,070
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Ramla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ramla from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 109 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ramla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ramla 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 Ramla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ramlas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ramla
The name Ramla has its origins in Arabic, derived from the word "raml," which means "sand" or "sandy place." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of Palestine.
The name Ramla gained historical significance due to its association with the ancient city of Ramla, located in present-day Israel. This city was established in the 8th century CE during the Umayyad Caliphate and served as an important administrative and commercial center.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ramla can be found in historical accounts related to the city itself. The name is mentioned in various Arabic chronicles and texts from the medieval period, often in connection with the city's founding and development.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ramla. One such person was Ramla al-Sayyida, a renowned 11th-century poet and scholar from Baghdad. She was renowned for her expertise in various fields, including literature, grammar, and theology.
Another historically significant figure with the name Ramla was Ramla bint Abi Sufyan, who lived in the 7th century CE. She was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, a prominent leader in Mecca during the early days of Islam. Ramla played a role in the consolidation of the Islamic faith and was respected for her knowledge and wisdom.
In the 12th century, Ramla bint al-Muqaddam al-Bata'ihi was a renowned female scholar and poet from Damascus. She was celebrated for her contributions to Arabic literature and her mastery of various poetic forms.
During the 13th century, Ramla bint al-Shaykh al-Salihi was a prominent Sufi mystic and spiritual leader from Cairo. She gained recognition for her teachings and her influence in the spiritual circles of her time.
Another notable figure with the name Ramla was Ramla bint Abi al-Fadl, a 9th-century poet and scholar from Kufa, Iraq. She was highly regarded for her literary works and her expertise in various branches of knowledge.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who bore the name Ramla, highlighting its rich heritage and cultural significance within the Arabic-speaking world.
People
Ramla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ramla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ramla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ramla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 261 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ramla 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 1,313,235 US residents.
Is Ramla a common name?
We classify Ramla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 264 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ramla most popular?
The single biggest year for Ramla was 2015, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ramla is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ramla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ramla 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.