Runda
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "round" or "circular".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Runda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Runda today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Runda births was 1960 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Runda. 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 Runda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1960
5 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1971 SSA rank
#9,312
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Runda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Runda from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Runda 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 Runda 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 Runda
The name Runda is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. It is derived from the word "rund," which means "to weep" or "to lament." This suggests that the name may have been given to children born during times of sorrow or mourning.
In ancient Hindu texts, there are references to a character named Runda, who was a demon mentioned in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. The Mahabharata is dated to around the 8th or 9th century BCE, making it one of the earliest known mentions of the name.
The earliest recorded individual with the name Runda was a Buddhist monk who lived in the 5th century CE in the region of modern-day India and Nepal. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the study of Buddhist philosophy.
In the 11th century, there was a Hindu king named Runda who ruled over a small kingdom in what is now the state of Gujarat in western India. He was known for his patronage of the arts and for commissioning several temple complexes that still stand today.
During the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, there was a prominent general named Runda who served under the emperor Akbar. He was instrumental in several military campaigns and was renowned for his strategic abilities on the battlefield.
In more recent history, one notable individual with the name Runda was a Nepali writer and poet named Runda Raj Pandey, who lived from 1920 to 1999. He was celebrated for his contributions to the literary scene in Nepal and was known for his lyrical and introspective works.
Another individual worth mentioning is Runda Kamau, a Kenyan activist and advocate for women's rights who has been active since the 1990s. She has worked tirelessly to empower women and promote gender equality in her country and across Africa.
While the name Runda may not be as common today as it once was, it has a rich and diverse history that spans across various cultures and time periods. Its roots in Sanskrit and connection to ancient texts and historical figures make it a name with a fascinating etymology.
People
Runda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Runda 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
Runda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Runda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Runda 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Runda a common name?
We classify Runda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Runda most popular?
The single biggest year for Runda was 1960, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Runda is about 62 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 Runda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Runda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Runda 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 Runda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Runda 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 Runda 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 Runda?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.