Sera
A name of Arabic origin meaning "guiding star" or "radiant bird".
Name Census estimates that about 1,551 living Americans carry the first name Sera. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sera today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sera births was 1997 (76 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sera. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 220,989 Americans
Peak year
1997
76 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,127
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Sera: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sera from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 512 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sera 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 Sera during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Seras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Sera, while Ohio, Massachusetts, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 38 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sera
The name Sera has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE during the Vedic period. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "sera," which means "lake" or "pond." It was initially a gender-neutral name but later became more commonly associated with girls.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sera can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Puranas. In these texts, Sera is mentioned as the name of a celestial nymph or apsara, known for her beauty and grace. The name also appears in various other Sanskrit texts, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sera. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sera Bangali (1475-1550), a Bengali poet and songwriter from the medieval period. Her compositions were widely celebrated for their poetic mastery and devotional themes.
In the 18th century, Sera Carew (1730-1808) was a British actress and courtesan who became a prominent figure in the London theatre scene. Her memoirs, published posthumously, provided a rare glimpse into the lives of actresses and courtesans of that era.
Another notable figure was Sera Monastier (1842-1922), an Italian artist and sculptor known for her intricate marble carvings and religious statues. Her works adorned several churches and public spaces in Italy.
During the 20th century, Sera Markoff (1902-1988) was a renowned Russian-American ballet dancer and choreographer. She performed with the renowned Ballets Russes and later established her own dance company, contributing significantly to the development of modern dance.
More recently, Sera Cahoone (born 1976) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her music blends elements of folk, indie rock, and alternative country, and she has released several critically acclaimed albums since the early 2000s.
While the name Sera may have originated in ancient India, it has transcended cultural boundaries and found its place in various parts of the world, often carrying meanings of purity, tranquility, and artistic expression.
People
Sera + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sera 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
Sera: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sera?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,551 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sera 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 220,989 US residents.
Is Sera a common name?
We classify Sera as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,596 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sera most popular?
The single biggest year for Sera was 1997, when 76 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sera is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sera a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sera 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.