Fun Facts About the Name Imara
- 720 babies named Imara: U.S. records list 720 babies given the name Imara from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Imara Mean?
Imara is a given name with two different language traditions. In Swahili, imara is an adjective meaning "strong," "firm," or "resolute," and the given name is understood to carry that sense. Swahili naming often draws directly on ordinary words, so the name's meaning is the same as the adjective's. In Arabic, the feminine noun ʿimāra (عمارة) means "building," "architecture," or "construction"; by extension it can mean "civilization," and name dictionaries sometimes gloss the name as "prosperity." The Arabic name is commonly written Imarah or Imara. It comes from the root ʿ-m-r, which is connected with living, inhabiting, building, and flourishing. The Swahili and Arabic forms are similar, but they belong to separate vocabulary traditions, and it is uncertain whether the Swahili adjective is historically related to the Arabic noun.
Imara Name History & Origins
In East Africa, imara is an everyday Swahili adjective, and the name is used in Kenya, Tanzania, and other areas where Swahili is spoken. Its use as a personal name fits a common Swahili pattern in which a word for a quality or condition is given directly to a child. The name is usually feminine in modern usage, though naming customs differ by family and region. Because Swahili has borrowed many words from Arabic over centuries of Indian Ocean trade, some Swahili names have Arabic connections, but the Swahili adjective is understood within Swahili and does not require an Arabic derivation.
In Arabic, the noun ʿimāra comes from the root ʿ-m-r, which appears in words for life, inhabiting, building, and prospering. The feminine name Imarah or Imara is formed from this noun. The final h in Imarah represents the Arabic feminine ending tāʾ marbūṭah, which is often not pronounced in speech; this is why the same name can appear in Latin letters as Imara. The name is used in some Arabic-speaking communities.
Because the Swahili and Arabic forms sound alike, they are sometimes treated as one name, but they have different meanings and belong to different language traditions. Swahili has borrowed many words from Arabic, so a historical connection is possible, but it is not established by the similarity alone. The Latin spelling Imara can represent either tradition.
How Popular is the Name Imara?
Imara 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 #2,979 in 2024.
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 | #3,008 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2024 | #2,979 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2023 | #2,991 | 56 | 0.0035% |
| 2022 | #3,994 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #3,828 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #7,033 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #6,528 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #6,110 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2017 | #5,108 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2016 | #4,771 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2015 | #6,557 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #7,441 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #5,897 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #9,971 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #7,567 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #8,424 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #7,164 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #6,651 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #6,413 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #6,444 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2005 | #6,948 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #7,553 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #11,723 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #5,147 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2001 | #8,397 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #6,938 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #9,053 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #5,218 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1997 | #8,583 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #6,504 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #7,711 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #9,898 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #12,355 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #12,323 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,856 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #9,580 | 8 | 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 Imara Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Imara's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Imara's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.