Fun Facts About the Name Amala
- 325 babies named Amala: U.S. records list 325 babies given the name Amala from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Amala Mean?
Amala comes mainly from Sanskrit amala (अमल), an adjective meaning "spotless," "pure," or "free from blemish." In Sanskrit the word describes anything clean or faultless, and in Hindu devotional language it serves as an epithet for deities and sacred figures. As a given name it is used in India, especially in the south, and is typically feminine. The related Sanskrit plant name āmalakī - the Indian gooseberry, called amla in Hindi - is built from the same word.
A second, unrelated origin is the Arabic amal (أمل), meaning "hope." Amal is used for both men and women in Arabic-speaking countries, and Amala is used as a feminine form in Arabic naming and in Muslim communities farther east. The Arabic and Sanskrit names are not related, despite their similar sound and identical English spelling.
Amala Name History & Origins
In India the name rests on the Sanskrit word for purity and is found across several language communities, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Because amala also works as a religious epithet, the name carries a devotional tone in Hindu contexts, where it can describe a person, a place, or a deity as stainless. It remains a recognized feminine given name in South India, and actresses Amala Akkineni and Amala Paul are among its well-known bearers.
In the Arabic-speaking world, amal ("hope") has long been a personal name for both sexes, and the form Amala traveled with Arabic naming traditions into South Asia and other regions. Because Arabic vowels are rendered inconsistently in the Latin alphabet, the name appears in English in several spellings, including Amala and Amal.
A separate element appears in the Gothic royal dynasty called the Amali and in the name of the Ostrogothic queen Amalasuntha. That amal- is of uncertain meaning and belongs to a different naming tradition; it is not a source of the modern name Amala.
How Popular is the Name Amala?
Amala has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #4,746 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,157 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #6,623 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #4,746 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2022 | #8,564 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #5,397 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2020 | #5,672 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #5,998 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #13,899 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #7,110 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #14,451 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #8,031 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #14,698 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #11,074 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #12,279 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #12,242 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #10,495 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #17,466 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #10,124 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #15,620 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #11,479 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #13,099 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #9,721 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #7,852 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #13,603 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,885 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #13,842 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,852 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #10,577 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #13,527 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #11,566 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Amala Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Amala's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Amala's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.