Total births
260
Girls' name · since 1972
Poonam
Since 1972, U.S. Social Security records show 260 babies named Poonam, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 260
- total births
- 1972–2008
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 56%
- born in that decade
Poonam sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 260 recorded since 1972.
Poonam has 260 recorded births among girls since 1972, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2008.
- 260 total births
- 1972–2008 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 56% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
260 girls have been named Poonam since 1972, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2008.
- 260
- total births
- 1972–2008
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 56%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
56% of everyone ever named Poonam was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
21 babies were named Poonam in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
Poonam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Poonam's full recorded timeline at 1989, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1972, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 21 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Poonam at a glance
Last recorded 2008Peak year
1986
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1972
Poonam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2008
- Peak year (1986)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 37 years of records
Poonam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Poonam's strongest decade.
145 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Poonam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s
1980s
145 births
- 1990s
1990s
87 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 145 births (56% of all-time use).
Poonam by state
Where Poonam concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 39 | 15.0% |
California share of Poonam's total US births 15.0%
39 of 260 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Poonam? ▼
260 babies have been named Poonam since 1972. It was last recorded in 2008. The peak year was 1986 with 21 births.
When was Poonam most popular? ▼
Poonam was most popular in the 1980s decade with 145 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Poonam most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Poonam are California (39 births).
How long has the name Poonam been used? ▼
Records for Poonam go back to 1972, giving 37 years of history through 2008.
What names are similar to Poonam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pooja, Poorvi, Poorna. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Poonam's data
- Poonam's decade-level peak was the 1980s (145 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Poonams (39 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 Poonam
Nearby Names Like Poonam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Poonam
Compare Poonam side by side: Poonam vs Pooja Poonam vs Poorvi Poonam vs Poorna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1972–2008 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Poonam: Baby Name Since 1972 - 260 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/poonam. 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 Poonam 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 July 2026.