The baby name Uma is a goddess name worn by a Hollywood A-lister.
Thanks to Kezia for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME UMA MEAN?
The baby name Uma is Sanskrit. It’s associated with the Hindu goddess Parvati, a goddess of love but also power.
Parvati is a significant figure. The daughter of a mountain god, she becomes the consort of Shiva and a mother goddess figure.
Uma means flax in Sanskrit. Also called linseed, the plant originally grew from the eastern Mediterranean into India. Flaxen is a golden color, and one of Parvati’s identities is often depicted with gold, glowing skin – but it’s not Uma. Still, that’s one literal meaning for the name.
Another story explains that the goddess’ mother worried about her daughter’s tendency to be austere. She appealed to her “u mā” meaning “oh, don’t.”
So there’s some wordplay, and also a hint of harvest and sunlight to this short girl’s name.
By the middle of the 20th century, notable women in India and the surrounding region answered to the name.
UMA THURMAN
Uma Karuna Thurman received her unusual name thanks to her late father, Robert. His career focused on Buddhism and philosophy. He taught at New York’s Columbia University for many years. Robert was ordained a Buddhist monk, the first American to do so.
Her mother and grandmother modeled professionally. As a teenager, Uma followed in their footsteps. That led to a small role in Dangerous Liaisons in 1988.
1994’s Pulp Fiction transformed the actress into a household name. She scored an Academy Award nomination for her performance.
In 2015, Fall Out Boy released a song titled “Uma Thurman.” It’s an ode to the actress, inspired by bassist Pete Wentz’s crush on her while growing up.
Her career continues to thrive. In 2025, she event played the US president in the movie adaptation of best-selling novel Red, White, and Royal Blue.
Also worth noting: Uma’s name wasn’t just a stunt. She and her brothers were raised Buddhists.
MORE FAMOUS FIGURES
In 2015, Disney scored a hit with another original movie franchise. Following successes like the High School Musical and Camp Rock universese, The Descendants takes us inside a different kind of adolescence. It focuses on the teenage children of famous villians. The Villain Kids – VKs for short – have been invited to study at Auradon Prep, alongside the children of famous fairytale heroes.
In the 2017 sequel, Uma sails into town as the pirate captain of her own crew. She’s the daughter of the sea witch Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Played by China Anne McClain, Uma rocks up with long blue braids and some of her mother’s superpowers, too.
Beyond the goddess, the actress, and the pirate, there’s also:
- Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story “The Beach of Falesá” is set on a fictional South Sea island. It’s based on the author’s real life experience living in Samoa. It’s not one of his better-known stories, but it does include a character named Uma, a local woman.
- Uma Nehru worked for Indian independence, and went on to serve as an elected official in the newly-independent coutnry
- Children’s television series Oobi ran on Noggin. Uma was the name of main character Oobi’s younger sister. Odds are it was chosen simply for the sound.
- A 2018 Bollywood movie titled Uma, based on the true story of a critically-ill child longing to celebrate a favorite holiday one more time.
Uma might also mean horse in Japanese or the number one in Portuguese. Um is the Portuguese equivalent of uno in Spanish or un in French. And just like una and une are feminine forms in those languages, uma appears in Portuguese.
The Bosnian name Umihana, as in 19th century poet Umihana Cuvidina, comes from Arabic roots.
21st CENTURY TRENDS
Kveller describes the baby name Uma as Jew-ish: a potential translation of a Hebrew word meaning nation or people, but also a short, punchy, pan-global possibility.
Similar names, like Mia and Ava, have cracked the US Top Ten in recent years. Short baby names have trended for boys, too, like Leo and Max.
Uma fits in nicely, a more daring alternative to Luna or Juniper; a sister for Bodhi or Zen.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME UMA?
The name Uma first appears in the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) extended data way back in 1961.
That’s slightly ahead of the 1960s counterculture that would embrace eastern spirituality, but it tracks with other developments. An association of Amerian Buddhists was formed in 1960, though it has since been succeeded by other organizations.
No question that it’s the actress that gave the girl’s name an initial lift.
In 1993, just five girls received the name.
By the year 2000, it was 55.
It reached peak popularity in 2006, with 81 births.
As of 2025, just 55 girls received the name.
Those numbers remain small, but it’s a steady stream of new girls answering to Uma since the 1960s, making it ever more familiar.
CROSS-CULTURAL POSSIBILITY
With children answering to mini names from Ada to Zoe, there’s always space for another compact, culture-spanning choice with a distinctive sound.
Just like a generation of parents doesn’t mind being asked if Audrey was inspired by Hepburn, and Hollywood surnames like Harlow and Monroe have risen in use, there’s space for a more recent celebrity name to wear well.
If you’re looking for that elusive name that straddles Buddhist belief and American pop culture, all in a very accessible form? Uma could be the perfect choice.
What do you think of the baby name Uma?
First published on June 15, 2015, this post was revised on September 17, 2026.
I’m very curious as to what people think of the name Uma. We are considering it for our 2nd daughter. I don’t feel like it’s inherently pretty but the more I hear it the more I think it’s beautiful. Our 2nd choice is Amia.
I have an Indian coworker (living & working & planning to continue living in the U.S.) with a daughter named Uma. He said that it is not a common name in India (at least not his part of it), but he liked that it worked well in both languages.