Fun Facts About the Name Om
- More than 2 thousand babies named Om: U.S. records list 2,321 babies given the name Om from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Om Mean?
Om (Sanskrit oṃ, written ॐ) is a sacred syllable from Sanskrit, the liturgical and literary language of ancient India. It is most often described as the primordial sound or the sound of the universe. Unlike an ordinary Sanskrit noun, oṃ does not have a simple dictionary translation; its established meaning is the syllable itself as a mantra. It is also called praṇava, a term meaning "humming" or "sounding." The syllable is traditionally analyzed as a single sound made of a, u, and m. Later Hindu texts give symbolic readings to those parts - for example, the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad links a, u, and m to waking, dream, and deep sleep, with the silence after the syllable standing for a fourth state. Those interpretations are religious commentary, not the literal etymology of a common word.
Om Name History & Origins
The Sanskrit syllable oṃ appears in the Vedic and Upanishadic literature of ancient India. It is chanted at the beginning and end of prayers, used in meditation, and placed at the start of many Hindu texts and mantras. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad is devoted to explaining it, and the Bhagavad Gītā names it as a sacred utterance. From Hinduism, the syllable passed into Buddhism and Jainism; Buddhist mantras such as oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ begin with it. The written symbol ॐ is a Devanagari ligature, and related forms appear in other Indian and Tibetan scripts, such as ௐ in Tamil and ༀ in Tibetan. As a personal name, Om is used chiefly in South Asia, especially in India and Nepal, usually as a masculine given name. It is often chosen directly from the sacred syllable, and it also appears in compound names such as Om Prakash. The alternate spelling Aum makes the component sounds visible, but in Sanskrit the syllable is generally recited as one sound.
How Popular is the Name Om?
Om 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 2008. Its best rank was #1,174 in 2008.
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 | #2,177 | 66 | 0.0039% |
| 2024 | #2,161 | 68 | 0.0040% |
| 2023 | #2,235 | 64 | 0.0037% |
| 2022 | #2,430 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 2021 | #1,939 | 78 | 0.0045% |
| 2020 | #1,918 | 77 | 0.0045% |
| 2019 | #2,077 | 70 | 0.0039% |
| 2018 | #1,911 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 2017 | #1,657 | 96 | 0.0052% |
| 2016 | #1,779 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 2015 | #1,764 | 87 | 0.0045% |
| 2014 | #1,744 | 87 | 0.0045% |
| 2013 | #1,657 | 92 | 0.0049% |
| 2012 | #1,558 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2011 | #1,520 | 105 | 0.0055% |
| 2010 | #1,421 | 117 | 0.0061% |
| 2009 | #1,217 | 148 | 0.0075% |
| 2008 | #1,174 | 153 | 0.0075% |
| 2007 | #1,430 | 114 | 0.0055% |
| 2006 | #1,476 | 104 | 0.0051% |
| 2005 | #1,340 | 113 | 0.0057% |
| 2004 | #1,188 | 131 | 0.0066% |
| 2003 | #1,195 | 124 | 0.0063% |
| 2002 | #2,283 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 2001 | #3,813 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #5,501 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #7,672 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #6,694 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #7,002 | 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 Om Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
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.
✦ Om's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Om's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.