Uma
A feminine Hindu name derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "flax" or "splendor".
Name Census estimates that about 1,817 living Americans carry the first name Uma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Uma today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Uma births was 2006 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Uma. 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
- • Uma is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.8K
~ 1 in 188,638 Americans
Peak year
2006
81 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,736
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Uma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Uma from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 681 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Uma remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Uma 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 Uma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Umas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, New York, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Uma, while Virginia, New Mexico, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Uma
Uma is a Hindu feminine given name of Sanskrit origin. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Uma" which means "light" or "splendor". The name has been prominently used in Hindu mythology and religious texts.
Uma is one of the many names of the Hindu goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu scriptures, Uma was born as the daughter of Himavat, the personification of the Himalayas, and the reincarnation of Sati, Shiva's first wife. Her name is mentioned in several sacred texts, including the Puranas and the Mahabharata.
The name Uma has been recorded throughout Indian history, with some notable figures bearing this name. Queen Uma Devi (1554-1612) was a prominent ruler of the Gajapati Empire in present-day Odisha, India. She is known for her contributions to literature, art, and architecture during her reign.
Uma Bharati (born 1959) is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. She has been a Member of Parliament and has held several ministerial positions in the Indian government.
Uma Pemmaraju (1958-2017) was an Indian-American news anchor and journalist. She worked for various television networks, including Fox News and CNN, and was known for her coverage of major news events.
Uma Kunji Lal (1902-1944) was an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary who participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He was involved in the Kakori Train Robbery case and was later executed by the British authorities.
Uma Maheswara Ugra Narasimha (1825-1898), also known as Uma Maheshwara, was a renowned Telugu poet and scholar from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He made significant contributions to Telugu literature and is considered one of the greatest poets of the Telugu language.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Uma. The name continues to be popular among Hindus, particularly in India and other parts of South Asia, as it carries cultural and spiritual significance rooted in Hindu traditions and mythology.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Uma
People
Uma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Uma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Uma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Uma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,817 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Uma 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 188,638 US residents.
Is Uma a common name?
We classify Uma as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,845 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Uma most popular?
The single biggest year for Uma was 2006, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Uma is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Uma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Uma 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.