Uma

OO-ma

Sanskrit, Hebrew

"light, peace, nation"

Uma Origin and Meaning

The name Uma is a girl's name of Hebrew, Sanskrit origin meaning "light, peace, nation".

Uma is a sweet, strong name for a Hindu goddess... and a Hollywood one. But as popular as Uma Thurman is, other parents have not yet picked up on her name, making it a rarity.

Uma is one of the more than one thousand appellations for the Hindu goddess Sakti, a fact that surely inspired the father of Ms. Thurman, a Columbia University professor of Eastern religion. Her middle name, Karuna, is equally unknown outside the Indian subcontinent.

In Hebrew, Uma means "the nation," and is therefore sometimes used for girls born on Israeli Independence Day.

Uma shouldn't be confused with the similarly sounding Una, an ancient Irish name.

Uma Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 983 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Uma

• 983 Nameberry 2025
• 31 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023

20 Names Similar to Uma

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Uma.

• Monet
• Geneva
• Roma
• Twila
• Twyla
• Verona
• Lizette
• Starla
• Avril
• Rosella
• Mona
• Cherie
• Rosette
• Lourdes
• Violette
• Roxana
• Percy
• Amity
• Enola
• Clarabelle

Famous People Named Uma

• Uma Karuna Thurman American actress
• Uma Anand Indian journalist, actress and broadcaster
• Uma Bharti Indian politician
• Uma Bose Indian musical prodigy
• Uma Dasgupta Indian actress
• Uma Romaine Goldsmith (b. 2000) daughter of Zac Goldsmith

The name Uma in Pop Culture

• Uma Japanese word for 'horse'
• Uma baka' Indonesian tribe previously know as the best hunters
• Uma District Ehime, former Japanese district
• "Uma" Portuguese female variation of "Um" meaning "One".
• Uma Ursula's daughter and main character in Disney's "Descendants 2" and "Descendants 3"
• Lady Uma supporting character in “The Selection” Series by Kiera Cass.
• Uma ugly baby in the Witcher III