Given name · also Sanskrit
Padma
Padma is used as a given name. One Hindi interpretation is “resembling the lotus flower; in Hinduism, another name for the goddess Lakshmi.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hindi interpretation is “resembling the lotus flower; in Hinduism, another name for the goddess Lakshmi.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Sanskrit.
How it developed
The name draws on Sanskrit padma, meaning “lotus”.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Padma through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 58
- 0 boys · 58 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 9 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #12,856 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 12,856 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 9 in 2007. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,231 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.
Padma’s family of names
Padma has a related form in Padmini. Padma has a related form in Padmah. Padma has a related form in Padmea.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
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 2
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 Padma
- Padma LakshmiIndian-born American author, actress, model, television host and executive producerborn 1970
- Padma SachdevIndian poet and novelist (1940–2021)
- Padma Bandopadhyayfirst woman Air Marshal of the Indian Air Forceborn 1944
- Padma Desaieconomist1931–2023
- Padma KhannaIndian actressborn 1940
- Padma GoleIndian writer (1913-1998)
- Padma YangchanNari Shakti Puraskar winner
- Padma Raghavancomputer scientistborn 2000
- Padma AnagolIndian historianborn 1950
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Padma, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Saraswati
“owning water; in Hinduism, a river goddess”
>99% girls
Purnima
“born beneath the full moon”
>99% girls
Uma
“Mother” · “O do not”
>99% girls
Meena
Meena is used as a given name and a surname. One Hindi interpretation is “resembling a fish; in Hinduism, the daughter of the goddess Usha.”
>99% girls
Sati
Sati is used as a given name and a surname. One Hindi interpretation is “one who speaks the truth; in Hinduism, a goddess.”
>99% girls
Aditi
Aditi is used as a given name. One Hindi interpretation is “unbound; limitless; in Hinduism, the goddess of consciousness, the sky, and fertility.”
>99% girls
Ayanna
“one who is innocent” · “resembling a beautiful flower”
>99% girls
Sala
“from the sacred sala tree”
>99% girls