Given name & surname
Kamala
“a woman of perfection”
Kamala is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “a woman of perfection.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “a woman of perfection.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
Kamala is used as a feminine counterpart of Kamal.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1955. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kamala through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,295
- 0 boys · 1,295 girls
- Most popular year
- 1964
- 105 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #9,767 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +11%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 9,767 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 11.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 105 in 1964. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,784 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kamala’s family of names
In English usage, Kamala developed from Tamara. Kamala has a related form in Kamalah. In English usage, Kamala has a related form in Tamara.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kamala has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Kamala
- Kamala HarrisVice President of the United States from 2021 to 2025born 1964
- Kamala SurayyaIndian author and poet (1934–2009)
- Kamala SohonieIndian biochemist (1911–1998)
- Kamala NehruIndian independence activist (1899–1936)
- Kamala MarkandayaIndian writer (1924–2004)
- Kamala Das GuptaIndian activist1907–2000
- Kamala SankrityayanIndian writer1920–2009
- Kamala DeviIndian-american actress (1933-2010)
- Kamala SelvarajIndian obstetrician and gynecologistborn 1959
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kamala, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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>99% girls