Karma
Girl name · #1706 in 2025 · Very rare
Karma is currently the #1706 girl name in the United States — 120 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1175, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 15,000 girls born in 2025 was named Karma.
The 110-year story
Karma first appears in the Social Security records in 1915, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 375 girls were named Karma — good for #760 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Karma per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Karma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Karma in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Karma is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Karma will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Karma is most common
State-level data for Karma is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Karma
Statistically, parents drawn to Karma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Naima, Kamiya, Kavya, Amiya, and Kalia.
NaimaKamiyaKavyaAmiyaKaliaKylahKamyaKamaya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Karma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 120 | #1703 |
| 2024 | 150 | #1457 |
| 2023 | 199 | #1202 |
| 2022 | 177 | #1325 |
| 2021 | 174 | #1301 |
| 2020 | 196 | #1183 |
| 2019 | 194 | #1203 |
| 2018 | 191 | #1223 |
| 2017 | 210 | #1172 |
| 2016 | 204 | #1210 |
| 2015 | 214 | #1175 |
| 2014 | 254 | #1026 |
| 2013 | 263 | #959 |
| 2012 | 291 | #901 |
| 2011 | 258 | #988 |
| 2010 | 297 | #892 |
| 2009 | 375 | #760 |
| 2008 | 333 | #845 |
| 2007 | 325 | #862 |
| 2006 | 313 | #855 |
| 2005 | 298 | #847 |
| 2004 | 94 | #1972 |
| 2003 | 58 | #2707 |
| 2002 | 61 | #2554 |
| 2001 | 71 | #2259 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Karma a popular girl name?
Karma ranked #1706 among girls in 2025 with 120 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1175.
When was the name Karma most popular?
Karma peaked in 2009, when 375 American girls received the name (ranked #760 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Karma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 15,000 newborn American girls was named Karma. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.