Pooja

A girl's name of Sanskrit origin with 1,981 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A female given name from Hindi.

Pooja is a girl's baby name of Sanskrit origin, from the Sanskrit pūjā meaning 'worship' or 'ritual devotion.' In Hindu tradition, puja is the sacred act of offering prayers and honor to deities — making this a deeply devotional name widely used across India and among South Asian communities worldwide.

EtymologyShow more

Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Pooja is rooted in the Sanskrit tradition, but its presence in American naming since 1976 means it has been shaped by English phonetics, local customs, and the cultural context of the families who chose it.

Pooja’s 1,981 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

Unranked

Current Rank

1,981

Total births

Since 1976

1997

Peak year

117 births

Compare Pooja with another name

Popularity Over Time

Pooja has 43+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1976.

First appeared: 1976Peak: 1997 (117 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Pooja
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2010s	86	#12599	▼
2000s	501	#3803	▼
1990s	957	#1661	▲
1980s	369	#2762	▲
1970s	68	#4692	—

The Story of Pooja

A Gen Z name

Peaking in 1997, Pooja is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Pooja are most likely born between 1987 and 2007.

How rare is Pooja?

With 1,981 total births on record, Pooja remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1976, peaked in the 1990s with 957 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Pooja by the numbers

Would fill 41 school buses
Meeting one Pooja per day would take 5.4 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(43 years, 1976–2018)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Pooja
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2018	5	#17550	-1 (-16.7%)
2017	6	#15479	-2 (-25.0%)
2016	8	#12612	+3 (60.0%)
2015	5	#18489	-5 (-50.0%)
2014	10	#10759	-1 (-9.1%)
2013	11	#10088	+3 (37.5%)
2012	8	#13162	-7 (-46.7%)
2011	15	#8107	-3 (-16.7%)
2010	18	#7149	+2 (12.5%)
2009	16	#7981	-11 (-40.7%)
2008	27	#5400	0
2007	27	#5350	-8 (-22.9%)
2006	35	#4238	-21 (-37.5%)
2005	56	#2927	+3 (5.7%)
2004	53	#2989	-17 (-24.3%)
2003	70	#2388	-1 (-1.4%)
2002	71	#2301	+3 (4.4%)
2001	68	#2351	-10 (-12.8%)
2000	78	#2100	-36 (-31.6%)
1999	114	#1511	+23 (25.3%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pooja a boy's or girl's name?

Pooja is primarily a girl's name.

When was Pooja most popular?

Pooja reached its peak popularity in 1997 with 117 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Pooja?

Pooja is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 1,981 babies in the U.S. since 1976. Its peak was in 1997.

Explore More

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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1976–2018