Zoma
Native American name meaning "life" or "soul".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Zoma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zoma today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zoma births was 1913 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zoma. 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 Zoma. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1913
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1930 SSA rank
#5,247
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Zoma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zoma from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 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
Zoma 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 Zoma 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 Zoma
The name Zoma has its origins in the ancient Mesopotamian region, specifically in the Sumerian language, which dates back to around 3500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "zummu," meaning "breath" or "spirit." The name was likely given to children as a way to bestow upon them a sense of vitality and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zoma can be found in a cuneiform inscription from the city of Uruk, dating back to approximately 2500 BCE. The inscription mentions a high-ranking official named Zoma-ili, suggesting that the name was used among the elite classes of ancient Sumerian society.
In the ancient Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature, there is a minor character named Zoma who plays a role in the hero's journey. This literary reference provides evidence of the name's use in Mesopotamian culture during the 3rd millennium BCE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Zoma. One of the most prominent was Zoma of Palmyra, a 3rd-century CE merchant and diplomat from the ancient city of Palmyra (modern-day Syria). He is known for his extensive trade routes and his role in facilitating cultural exchange between the Roman Empire and the East.
Another historical figure named Zoma was a 9th-century CE Buddhist monk from India. He is credited with introducing the teachings of Tantric Buddhism to the Tibetan region and played a significant role in the development of Buddhist philosophy in the Himalayas.
In the 12th century CE, there was a Persian poet and scholar named Zoma al-Din Qumi, who was renowned for his contributions to the field of Persian literature and philosophy. His works explored themes of spirituality, love, and the human condition.
During the Renaissance period, a Italian painter named Zoma Rossi (c. 1495-1578) gained recognition for his vibrant frescoes and religious paintings, many of which can still be seen in churches and museums across Italy.
Lastly, in the 19th century, there was a renowned Zoma Khan, a military commander and governor of the Pashtun region in modern-day Pakistan. He played a crucial role in defending the region against British colonial forces during the Anglo-Afghan Wars.
People
Zoma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zoma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zoma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zoma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zoma 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 - US residents.
Is Zoma a common name?
We classify Zoma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zoma most popular?
The single biggest year for Zoma was 1913, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zoma is about 0 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 Zoma in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zoma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zoma 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 Zoma still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zoma 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 Zoma 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 share the name Zoma?
Want to know how many Americans are named Zoma? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.