Girls' name · since 1979
Sanam
Sanam has 503 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1997 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11,824 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #9,030 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 503
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
Yes -- Sanam is the #9030 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 503 recorded since 1979.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sanam has been recorded 503 times among girls since 1979, currently ranked #9030 nationally and more common than 48% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #11,824 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #9,030 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 503 born since 1979
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sanam ranks #11,824 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,030 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 503 born since 1979, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11,824 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #9,030 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 503
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
Sanam's 503 recorded births place it above 83.65% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Sanam compares
503 Top 45% higher than 55% of 17,297 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
Sanam's all-time total is 34% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sanam | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 503 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 25 | 21 | 19,840 |
Sanam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sanam's SSA record in two at 2001 and the more recent half accounts for 47% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 53%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1980, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1997 peak of 25, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sanam popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (1997)
- 25
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Sanam by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (156 births, 31% of the file).
1990s was Sanam's strongest decade.
156 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Sanam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s
1980s
92 births
- 1990s
1990s
156 births
- 2000s
2000s
108 births
- 2010s
2010s
85 births
- 2020s 56
2020s
56 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 156 births (31% of all-time use).
How Sanam 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 Sanam's total volume
Sanam by state
Where Sanam concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 117 | 23.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 11 | 2.2% |
117 of 503 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Sanam's data
- Sanam's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (156 total births) through the 2020s (56) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Sanams (117 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sanam
Nearby Names Like Sanam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sanam
Compare Sanam side by side: Sanam vs Sandra Sanam vs Sandy Sanam vs Sandi
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sanam
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sanam: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1997)
Similar record span (~46 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1979–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Sanam 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 August 2026.