Xamara
A unique feminine name possibly derived from Spanish origins.
Name Census estimates that about 44 living Americans carry the first name Xamara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xamara today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xamara births was 2019 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xamara. 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 Xamara. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
44
~ 1 in 7,789,871 Americans
Peak year
2019
10 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,024
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Xamara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xamara from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 29 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
Xamara 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 Xamara 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 Xamara
The name Xamara has its origins rooted in ancient Sumerian culture, one of the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia, dating back to around 3500 BC. It is believed to be derived from the proto-Sumerian word "xamar," which translates to "radiant" or "shining." This name was likely chosen to honor deities associated with the sun or celestial bodies revered by the Sumerians.
In the third millennium BC, the name Xamara appeared in cuneiform inscriptions found on clay tablets and cylinder seals, indicating its usage among the Sumerian elite and ruling classes. One notable example is a record from the city of Uruk, which mentions a high priestess named Xamara who served in the temple of the goddess Inanna, the Sumerian deity of love, beauty, and fertility.
As Sumerian culture and language influenced neighboring regions, the name Xamara spread to other ancient civilizations in the Fertile Crescent. In the second millennium BC, it was adopted by the Akkadian Empire, where it was transliterated as "Shamar" and bestowed upon several members of the royal family, including Princess Shamar, the daughter of King Sargon the Great (c. 2334-2279 BC).
During the first millennium BC, the name Xamara gained prominence in ancient Persia, where it was associated with the Zoroastrian faith. One notable figure was Xamara, a high-ranking priestess of the fire temple in Persepolis during the reign of Darius the Great (550-486 BC), renowned for her wisdom and spiritual teachings.
In the early centuries AD, the name Xamara appeared in the annals of the Parthian Empire, where it was borne by several noblewomen, including Xamara, the wife of King Vologases V (c. 191-208 AD), who was praised for her diplomatic skills and patronage of the arts.
Another significant figure was Xamara, a renowned scholar and poet from the city of Ctesiphon during the Sasanian Empire (224-651 AD). Her works, though largely lost to time, were celebrated for their metaphysical insights and elegant use of language.
In the seventh century AD, the name Xamara was adopted by the Arab world, where it was Arabized as "Samira." One notable bearer was Samira bint Amr (c. 630-690 AD), a respected female companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence.
Throughout history, the name Xamara has been borne by numerous individuals, including Xamara, a Byzantine princess and daughter of Emperor Theophilos (829-842 AD), who was renowned for her philanthropic efforts and support of the arts and sciences.
People
Xamara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xamara as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xamara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xamara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 44 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xamara 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 7,789,871 US residents.
Is Xamara a common name?
We classify Xamara as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xamara most popular?
The single biggest year for Xamara was 2019, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xamara is about 6 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 Xamara in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xamara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xamara 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 Xamara still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xamara 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 Xamara 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 Xamara?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.