Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2009

Karma

Gender Girl · 3% boys Rank 2025 #1,706 Trend ↓ Falling 16%
Rank 2025
#1,706
among girls · ↓247 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
135
named Karma · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 13,394
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2009
386 babies
All-time total
7,863
#1,965 all-time among girls
First recorded
1915
in Social Security records

Karma popularity over time

7,863 babies have been named Karma since 1915, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 23 – 23 2 – #2,900
1920s 113 – 113 11 +391% #1,753
1930s 185 – 185 19 +64% #1,573
1940s 232 – 232 23 +25% #1,542
1950s 344 – 344 34 +48% #1,456
1960s 336 – 336 34 -2% #1,770
1970s 578 – 578 58 +72% #1,308
1980s 220 – 220 22 -62% #2,371
1990s 186 – 186 19 -15% #3,212
2000s 1,984 50 2,034 203 +994% #761
2010s 2,376 118 2,494 249 +23% #893
2020s (to 2025) 1,016 102 1,118 186 -25% #1,184

Where Karma is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 115 0.07 outside top 500
2027 112 0.07 outside top 500
2028 108 0.07 outside top 500
2029 106 0.07 outside top 500
2030 104 0.06 outside top 500

Where Karma is most popular

Girls named Karma per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.101 per 1,000. Strongest in Tennessee, Ohio, and Georgia.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Karma born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Tennessee 30 0.189 +87%
Ohio 44 0.185 +83%
Georgia 39 0.172 +70%
North Carolina 39 0.171 +69%
Oklahoma 12 0.163 +61%
Michigan 29 0.159 +58%
Indiana 22 0.157 +55%
Illinois 34 0.149 +47%
Virginia 22 0.129 +28%
Florida 52 0.122 +20%
New York 48 0.121 +20%
Alabama 11 0.117 +16%
Louisiana 10 0.114 +13%
Arkansas 5 0.095 -6%
Texas 68 0.085 -16%
Kentucky 7 0.082 -19%
Missouri 9 0.075 -26%
California 48 0.057 -44%
South Carolina 5 0.056 -45%
Maryland 5 0.047 -53%
Minnesota 5 0.046 -54%
Washington 5 0.035 -66%
Pennsylvania 7 0.030 -71%
Alaska – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Karma

Karma is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,706 in 2025 with 120 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1915, 7,863 American babies have been named Karma. Its peak came in 2009, when 386 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Karma stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Karma?

The median living Karma is about 16 years old; half are between 9 and 24. An estimated 7,400 people named Karma are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Karma year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 120 #1,706 15 #5,999
2024 150 #1,459 15 #6,036
2023 199 #1,203 21 #4,810
2022 177 #1,331 24 #4,369
2021 174 #1,301 10 #7,864
2020 196 #1,184 17 #5,359
2019 194 #1,205 15 #5,962
2018 191 #1,225 20 #4,844
2017 210 #1,176 10 #7,870
2016 204 #1,210 13 #6,532
2015 214 #1,179 10 #7,772
2014 254 #1,028 9 #8,473
2013 263 #960 7 #10,202
2012 291 #901 14 #6,155
2011 258 #988 9 #8,439
2010 297 #893 11 #7,333
2009 375 #761 11 #7,467
2008 333 #845 12 #6,973
2007 325 #862 6 #11,670
2006 313 #855 9 #8,393
2005 298 #850 – –
2004 94 #1,978 7 #9,453
2003 58 #2,721 – –
2002 61 #2,564 5 #11,601
2001 71 #2,274 – –
2000 56 #2,651 – –
1995 12 #7,275 – –
1990 8 #9,675 – –
1985 15 #4,954 – –
1980 31 #2,903 – –
1975 47 #1,922 – –
1970 66 #1,510 – –
1965 35 #1,965 – –
1960 26 #2,335 – –
1955 31 #1,927 – –
1950 27 #1,855 – –
1945 16 #2,192 – –
1940 23 #1,661 – –
1935 13 #2,369 – –
1930 12 #2,608 – –
1925 15 #2,436 – –
1920 9 #3,467 – –
1915 6 #4,013 – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Karma, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Karma?

The median living Karma is about 16 years old. Half of all living Karmas are between 9 and 24 years old.

How many people named Karma are alive today?

An estimated 7,400 people named Karma are alive in the United States, based on 7,863 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Karma in 2025?

Karma ranked #1,706 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 120 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Karma?

7,863 babies have been named Karma in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Karma most popular?

Karma peaked in 2009, when 386 newborns received the name.

Is Karma a boy or girl name?

Karma is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Karma rising or falling?

Karma is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Karma become more popular?

Karma is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 104 girls named Karma in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Karma

Names that sound and feel close to Karma: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Karma with similar names → More names starting with K →