Fun Facts About the Name Kuma
- 24 babies named Kuma: U.S. records list 24 babies given the name Kuma from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kuma Mean?
Kuma is a Japanese word meaning "bear," written with the kanji 熊. It is a common noun and a recurring element in place names and surnames rather than a standard Japanese given name. Surnames such as Kumagai (熊谷, "bear valley") and places such as Kumano (熊野, "bear field") use it in this literal sense.
Words with the same sound in other languages are unrelated and are not versions of the Japanese name. In Slavic languages, кума (kuma), the feminine of кум (kum), means "godmother": a godparent or, in Serbian and neighboring traditions, the female witness at a wedding. It came through Byzantine Greek κουμπάρα from Latin compater, "co-father." Turkish kuma, "co-wife," is another separate word that happens to share the same form.
Kuma Name History & Origins
Japanese 熊 (kuma) is an old word for "bear" found in the earliest layers of the recorded language. Because bears were powerful animals, the word was attached to the landscapes where they lived; Kumano and Kumagaya are examples of such place names, and the surname Kumagai follows the same pattern. Kuma is therefore best understood as a Japanese word, place-name element, and surname element that can also be used casually for a person or an animal.
The Slavic kinship term has a separate history. In Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian use, kum and kuma name a ritual relationship - the godparent of one's child or the witness at one's wedding - and Serbian kumstvo carries obligations close to those of family. The words were borrowed from Byzantine Greek, which had taken them from Latin compater, formed from com- "with" and pater "father." As a Slavic word, kuma is a term of address and a social role, not a traditional given name.
Modern Japanese media have used the word as the name of a bear character, as in the Tekken games. Such uses draw on the ordinary Japanese noun and are not where the word began.
How Popular is the Name Kuma?
Kuma 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 2024. Its best rank was #8,662 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 | #13,090 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #8,662 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #13,238 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,213 | 5 | 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 Kuma Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of 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.
✦ Kuma's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kuma's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.