Fun Facts About the Name Amara
- Gaining ground: Amara entered the U.S. top 100 in 2025, gaining 23 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 29 thousand babies named Amara: U.S. records list 29,254 babies given the name Amara from 1880 through 2025. Even 296 boys received the name Amara - about 1 boy for every 98 girls.
What Does the Name Amara Mean?
Amara has several independent origins, so its meaning depends on the language it is traced to. In Igbo, spoken in southeastern Nigeria, amara means "grace" or "mercy." It is the shorter form of names such as Amarachi, which combines amara with Chi ("God") to mean "God's grace." In Sanskrit, amara (अमर) means "immortal" or "deathless," from a- ("not") plus mara ("mortal," from the root mṛ, "to die"). In Latin, amara is the feminine form of amarus, meaning "bitter"; this is a literal adjective rather than a traditional personal name. Some modern sources also suggest an Arabic origin, but the proposed Arabic root and meaning are not consistent, so that derivation remains uncertain.
Amara Name History & Origins
The Igbo name Amara belongs to a naming tradition in southeastern Nigeria in which personal names are often full sentences or phrases. It functions both as a standalone name and as a shortening of longer names, especially Amarachi ("God's grace"). In Igbo, Chi refers to a personal god or divine force, and amara means grace or mercy, so names built from these elements express gratitude, hope, or religious devotion. Because Igbo names can be shortened for everyday use, Amara has become a familiar given name in Nigeria and among Igbo communities abroad.
The Sanskrit amara has a separate history. It appears in classical Sanskrit as an adjective and noun for "immortal" or "god," and it is used in Hindu religious and philosophical texts. The title of the Amarakosha, a Sanskrit thesaurus attributed to Amarasimha, uses the word in the sense of an immortal or unfading treasury. As a personal name, Amara is used in India, though it is less common than many traditional Sanskrit-derived names. Its use reflects the broader adoption of meaningful Sanskrit vocabulary as given names.
The Latin amara is the feminine form of amarus, "bitter." In classical Latin it is an ordinary adjective, not a conventional personal name. Its appearance in modern name dictionaries comes from the word's literal meaning rather than from continuous use as a name in antiquity. In English, Amara is a relatively recent given name compared with its older Igbo and Sanskrit uses. Its presence in English reflects the continued use of Igbo names in Nigeria and the diaspora, as well as the adoption of Sanskrit-derived names in English-speaking countries. Arabic connections are sometimes mentioned in modern name guides, but the Arabic derivation is not consistently documented and is not treated here as an established independent origin.
How Popular is the Name Amara?
Amara recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Amara entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2025.
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 | #98 | 2,630 | 0.1636% |
| 2024 | #121 | 2,288 | 0.1418% |
| 2023 | #123 | 2,280 | 0.1423% |
| 2022 | #141 | 2,046 | 0.1249% |
| 2021 | #143 | 1,920 | 0.1171% |
| 2020 | #142 | 1,918 | 0.1187% |
| 2019 | #140 | 1,996 | 0.1190% |
| 2018 | #189 | 1,587 | 0.0933% |
| 2017 | #206 | 1,500 | 0.0869% |
| 2016 | #301 | 1,085 | 0.0612% |
| 2015 | #459 | 691 | 0.0387% |
| 2014 | #511 | 607 | 0.0340% |
| 2013 | #578 | 497 | 0.0283% |
| 2012 | #571 | 514 | 0.0292% |
| 2011 | #587 | 491 | 0.0279% |
| 2010 | #654 | 447 | 0.0252% |
| 2009 | #586 | 516 | 0.0281% |
| 2008 | #577 | 534 | 0.0282% |
| 2007 | #577 | 522 | 0.0272% |
| 2006 | #573 | 511 | 0.0269% |
| 2005 | #571 | 501 | 0.0271% |
| 2004 | #607 | 456 | 0.0248% |
| 2003 | #652 | 406 | 0.0222% |
| 2002 | #790 | 297 | 0.0165% |
| 2001 | #870 | 263 | 0.0146% |
| 2000 | #797 | 287 | 0.0158% |
| 1999 | #1,033 | 197 | 0.0111% |
| 1998 | #1,080 | 179 | 0.0101% |
| 1997 | #1,111 | 169 | 0.0097% |
| 1996 | #1,215 | 146 | 0.0083% |
| 1995 | #1,230 | 139 | 0.0079% |
| 1994 | #1,400 | 115 | 0.0064% |
| 1993 | #1,518 | 103 | 0.0057% |
| 1992 | #1,423 | 114 | 0.0062% |
| 1991 | #1,475 | 107 | 0.0057% |
| 1990 | #1,253 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 1989 | #1,750 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 1988 | #1,864 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 1987 | #1,748 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 1986 | #1,838 | 61 | 0.0036% |
| 1985 | #1,810 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 1984 | #2,575 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1983 | #2,097 | 47 | 0.0028% |
| 1982 | #2,493 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1981 | #2,492 | 38 | 0.0023% |
| 1980 | #2,868 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1979 | #2,863 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 1978 | #4,687 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #2,911 | 27 | 0.0018% |
| 1976 | #3,291 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1975 | #2,813 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1974 | #2,557 | 29 | 0.0020% |
| 1973 | #4,160 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #3,548 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #3,373 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #3,587 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #4,431 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #5,157 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #6,056 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #6,592 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,286 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #6,834 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #5,473 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #6,491 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #7,120 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #8,772 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #7,200 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #5,783 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,576 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #7,171 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #5,759 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2014 | #7,577 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #7,050 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #9,760 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #8,799 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #9,732 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #11,064 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #9,048 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #6,282 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #10,738 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #6,656 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #8,174 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #8,698 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #5,742 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #7,555 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #8,236 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #8,749 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,484 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #9,067 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #7,673 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,774 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Amara 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 very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Amara's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Amara's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.