Burma
A girl's name with 931 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A country in Southeast Asia. Official name: Republic of the Union of Myanmar. Capital: Naypyidaw. Officially known as Myanmar.
Burma is a girl's baby name used in the American South, derived from the country name Burma (now Myanmar), in Southeast Asia. As a given name, it reflects the American tradition of using exotic place names — particularly from Asia and the Pacific — as feminine given names in the early-to-mid 20th century.
Burma was most popular in the United States between 1920 and 1950, when place names from around the world — China, India, Cuba, Burma — were occasionally given to girls as distinctive, geographically evocative names. It has a gentle, almost forgotten vintage quality.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Burma does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
Burma’s 931 recorded births suggest it has found a niche — possibly within a specific cultural community, region, or naming subculture within the broader American landscape.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Burma has 59+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1896.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 20 | #5744 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 122 | #3750 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 309 | #1619 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 162 | #2076 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 157 | #2358 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 125 | #2188 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 29 | #1895 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 7 | #1304 | — |
The Story of Burma
A Silent Generation name
Peaking in 1941, Burma is an elegant vintage name. Girls named Burma are most likely born between 1931 and 1951.
How rare is Burma?
With 931 total births on record, Burma remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1896, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1940s with 309 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Burma by the numbers
- Would fill 19 school buses
- Meeting one Burma per day would take 2.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(59 years, 1896–1965)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 6 | #5878 |
| 1964 | 5 | #6872 |
| 1960 | 9 | #4481 |
| 1959 | 9 | #4329 |
| 1958 | 12 | #3564 |
| 1957 | 7 | #4961 |
| 1956 | 9 | #4195 |
| 1955 | 5 | #5924 |
| 1954 | 7 | #4717 |
| 1953 | 18 | #2522 |
| 1952 | 15 | #2826 |
| 1951 | 18 | #2398 |
| 1950 | 22 | #2060 |
| 1949 | 19 | #2279 |
| 1948 | 23 | #2015 |
| 1947 | 36 | #1580 |
| 1946 | 26 | #1775 |
| 1945 | 40 | #1265 |
| 1944 | 33 | #1405 |
| 1943 | 30 | #1531 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burma a boy's or girl's name?
When was Burma most popular?
How popular is the name Burma?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1896–1965