Girl · #2,294 in 2026

Naima

"Naima" is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album Giant Steps, and it became one of his first well-known works.

  • Arabic
Current Rank
#2,294
Peak Rank
#890 (2007)
Total Babies
5K
5-Yr Trend
-33%
1969
First Year
2026
Last Year
2007
Peak Year
#890
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
58
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Naima

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

"Naima" is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album Giant Steps, and it became one of his first well-known works.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Arabic
Origin & history
Coltrane recorded "Naima" many times. It appears on The Complete Copenhagen Concert (1961), Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (1966), Afro Blue Impressions (1977), The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (1997), and Blue World (2019). "Naima" has since become a jazz standard .

The Story of Naima

Naima first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1969, with 9 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2007: 305 births, good for #902 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 35% of all recorded Naimas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,294 among baby girl names with 81 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 5K Naimas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Naima

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Naima. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Naima

Phonetically similar names — useful when Naima is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Naima

What does the name Naima mean?
"Naima" is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album Giant Steps, and it became one of his first well-known works.
What is the origin of the name Naima?
Naima has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Arabic.
How popular is Naima in 2026?
In 2026, Naima ranks #2,294 among girls' names in the U.S., with 81 babies given the name that year.
When was Naima most popular?
Naima reached its peak popularity in 2007, ranking #890 that year with 305 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Naima most popular?
Naima has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Minnesota, Connecticut. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Naima.
Is Naima a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Naima is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Naima?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Naima include Dorthea, Angella, Marti. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Naima?
Common variants and related forms of Naima include Naeema, Na'ima, Naïma. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Dorthea
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Angella
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Marti
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Shay
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Margurite
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Annalee
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Gwyneth
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Elana
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About the name Naima

Naima is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Naima's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #890. Use the chart and map above to compare Naima's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.