Total births
7,593
Girls' name · since 1915
Karma
Karma has 7,593 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1461
- among girls today
- 7,593
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
7,593 babies have been named Karma since 1915, making it today's #1461 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Karma has been recorded 7,593 times among girls since 1915, currently ranked #1461 nationally and more common than 92% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #1461 among girls today
- 7,593 born since 1915
- 2010s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Karma is currently the #1461 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 7,593 born since 1915, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1461
- among girls today
- 7,593
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Karma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1461
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Karma was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
375 babies were named Karma in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Karma compares
7,593 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Karma's all-time total is 20x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Karma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,593 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 375 | 48 | 19,840 |
Karma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Karma's full recorded timeline at 1971, 83% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 17% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1915, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2009 peak of 375 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Karma at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#1,461
Active since
1915
Karma popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 375
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Karma popularity over time - boys
270 total births recorded since 2002 (Karma as boys' name)
Karma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Karma's strongest decade.
2,376 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Karma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 23
1910s
23 births
- 1920s 113
1920s
113 births
- 1930s 185
1930s
185 births
- 1940s 232
1940s
232 births
- 1950s 344
1950s
344 births
- 1960s 336
1960s
336 births
- 1970s 578
1970s
578 births
- 1980s 220
1980s
220 births
- 1990s 186
1990s
186 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,984 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,376 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,016 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,376 births (31% of all-time use).
How Karma compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Karma's total volume
Karma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Karma by state
Where Karma concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 479 | 6.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 426 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 294 | 3.9% |
| #4 | Utah | | 281 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 273 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 233 | 3.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 227 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 215 | 2.8% |
California share of Karma's total US births 6.3%
Even split
479 of 7,593 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Karma appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Karma? ▼
7,593 babies have been named Karma since 1915. It currently ranks #1461 among girls. The peak year was 2009 with 375 births.
When was Karma most popular? ▼
Karma was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,376 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Karma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Karma are California (479 births), Texas (426 births), Ohio (294 births).
How long has the name Karma been used? ▼
Records for Karma go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Karma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Karen, Kara, Karla, Karina, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Karma's data
- Karma's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,376 total births) through the 2020s (1,016) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Karmas (479 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Karma
Nearby Names Like Karma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Karma
Karen Girl
#1251 987,989 births
Kara Girl
#990 101,743 births
Karla Girl
#733 91,586 births
Karina Girl
#772 61,464 births
Kari Girl
#1843 59,696 births
Compare Karma side by side: Karma vs Karen Karma vs Kara Karma vs Karla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Karma
Noel #1460
15,284 births · Peak 1987
Naila #1462
3,235 births · Peak 2019
Violetta #1459
3,308 births · Peak 2025
Montserrat #1463
5,669 births · Peak 2014
Adrienne #1458
68,356 births · Peak 1983
Aranza #1464
3,395 births · Peak 2014
Nell #1457
27,612 births · Peak 1917
Loyalty #1465
2,334 births · Peak 2021
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Karma: #1461 Girls' Name - 7,593 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/karma. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Karma draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.