Suma
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "beautiful flower".
Name Census estimates that about 50 living Americans carry the first name Suma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Suma today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Suma births was 1977 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Suma. 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 Suma. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
50
~ 1 in 6,855,087 Americans
Peak year
1977
7 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2002 SSA rank
#15,174
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Suma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Suma from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 19 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Suma remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Suma 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 Suma 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 Suma
The name Suma has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language of South Asia. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "sumana," which means "beautiful flower." The name Suma was widely used in ancient India and can be traced back to the Vedic period, which dates back to around 1500-500 BCE.
In Hindu mythology, Suma is mentioned as the name of a beautiful celestial nymph or Apsara. She is described as a dancer in the court of Lord Indra, the king of the gods in Hindu mythology. The name Suma is also associated with the goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity in Hinduism.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Suma was Suma Bauri, a famous Bengali poet and writer who lived in the 16th century. She was renowned for her devotional poems and songs, which were widely popular in Bengal during that time.
Another notable figure in history with the name Suma was Suma Chakrabarti, an Indian civil servant who served as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2008 to 2016. She was born in 1951 and played a crucial role in promoting democracy, human rights, and sustainable development in the Commonwealth countries.
In the field of literature, Suma Josson was a Swedish author and journalist who was born in 1935. She was known for her novels and short stories, which often explored themes of identity, relationships, and the struggles of modern life.
Suma Nair, born in 1969, is an Indian-American author and journalist who has written several books on topics related to gender, culture, and identity. Her works include "The Better Man" and "The Culturalist."
Suma Subramaniam, born in 1971, is a Malaysian actress and television host who has appeared in numerous films and television shows both in Malaysia and internationally. She is widely recognized for her work in the entertainment industry and has won several awards for her performances.
While the name Suma has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over time. The name's association with beauty, grace, and prosperity has made it a popular choice for parents across different regions and backgrounds.
People
Suma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Suma 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
Suma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Suma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 50 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Suma 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 6,855,087 US residents.
Is Suma a common name?
We classify Suma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Suma most popular?
The single biggest year for Suma was 1977, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Suma is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Suma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Suma 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.