Rama
Rama, also known as Ram, is a major deity in Hinduism, who is worshipped as one of the prominent avatars of Vishnu. Rama is considered an ideal man and is the heroic protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being.
- Hinduism
- Telugu
- Tamil
- Kannada
Meaning & Origin of Rama
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rama, also known as Ram, is a major deity in Hinduism, who is worshipped as one of the prominent avatars of Vishnu. Rama is considered an ideal man and is the heroic protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hinduism
- Telugu
- Tamil
- Kannada
- Malayalam
The Story of Rama
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Rama as a girl name dates back to 1897, when 5 babies received it. 2010 was its biggest year on record, with 36 newborns named Rama — #4,106 in the national rankings. About 20% of every Rama on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Rama ranks #6,018 for girls with 20 births, rising sharply (+57% over the past five years). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Rama on the record books as a boy name in 1970, with 10 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1974, when 16 Ramas were born — ranking #2,459 that year. About 40% of every Rama on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Rama last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 265 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Rama
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rama. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Rama
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rama 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 Rama
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About the name Rama
Rama is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1897 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Rama's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #1,555. Use the chart and map above to compare Rama's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.