Seema
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the horizon" or "boundary".
Name Census estimates that about 1,114 living Americans carry the first name Seema. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Seema today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Seema births was 1981 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Seema. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 307,679 Americans
Peak year
1981
56 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,421
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Seema: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Seema from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 362 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Seema 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 Seema during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Seemas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Illinois recorded the most babies named Seema, while Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 43 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Seema
The name Seema is derived from the Sanskrit language, originating from ancient India. It is believed to have roots dating back to the Vedic period, around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. The name Seema holds a poetic and symbolic meaning, often interpreted as "the boundary" or "the limit."
In ancient Sanskrit texts, the word "seema" was used to refer to the lines or boundaries that demarcated territories, fields, or sacred spaces. This concept held significant importance in Vedic rituals and customs, where boundaries were revered and their sanctity was upheld.
One of the earliest known references to the name Seema can be found in the ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this vast literary work, there are mentions of a character named Seema, though her role and significance remain uncertain.
Throughout history, the name Seema has been borne by several notable figures. One of the most prominent was Seema Verma, an Indian-American health policy consultant and government official. She served as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2017 to 2021.
Another renowned individual with the name Seema was Seema Mustafa, an Indian journalist and political commentator. She is the founder and editor of The Citizen, an online news platform known for its investigative journalism and independent reporting.
In the realm of literature, Seema Purevdorj is a celebrated Mongolian writer and poet. Her works have been widely acclaimed for their vivid portrayal of Mongolian culture and traditions.
The name Seema has also graced the world of sports. Seema Antil is a former Indian discus thrower who competed in multiple Olympic Games and won numerous medals at international events, including a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Seema Biswas, an Indian actress, has made a significant impact in both Indian and international cinema. She is renowned for her powerful performances in films such as Bandit Queen, Khamoshi: The Musical, and Water, among others.
While the name Seema has its roots in ancient Sanskrit, it has transcended cultural and geographical boundaries, finding resonance in various parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and among the Indian diaspora.
People
Seema + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Seema as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Seema: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Seema?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,114 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Seema 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 307,679 US residents.
Is Seema a common name?
We classify Seema as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,183 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Seema most popular?
The single biggest year for Seema was 1981, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Seema is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Seema a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Seema 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.