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✨ UncommonGirl nameSanskritHindu

Kamala

“Lotus; an epithet of Lakshmi, who is seated on one”

3 syllables · 6 letters

About the name Kamala

Kamala is the lotus that Lakshmi stands on, an image of something immaculate rising out of muddy water. American politics has made it the best-known Sanskrit women's name in the English-speaking world, along with an eight-year public argument about where the stress falls.

Kamala is a girl name of Sanskrit origin, pronounced KAH-mah-lah. On the NameRarity scale it scores 48 out of 100, which places it in the uncommon band — familiar to everyone, yet rarely duplicated in the same room. Its strongest period was the 2020s.

Associated with
composedambitiousgracioustenacious

Name facts at a glance

Meaning
Lotus; an epithet of Lakshmi, who is seated on one
Origin
Sanskrit
Gender
Girl
Pronunciation
KAH-mah-lah
Syllables
3
Letters
6
US rank
Outside top 1000
Peak era
2020s
Rarity
48 / 100
Per million
~120
Starts with
K
Numerology
3 · The Storyteller

How popular is Kamala?

Popularity52/100
Rarity48/100

Kamala currently falls outside the US top 1,000, which is a large part of why it scores so highly for rarity. Roughly 120 people per million carry it — about 1 in 8,333. In a school of 1,000 pupils you would expect not to find a single one.

Famous people named Kamala

  • Kamala Harris
    Vice President of the United States from 2021 to 2025
  • Kamala Das
    Indian poet and writer in English and Malayalam

Spellings and variants of Kamala

KamlaKomalaKamalamKamali

Names similar to Kamala

Rare

Padma

PUD-mah

Lotus; an epithet of Lakshmi, also the flower of the Padma Awards

Sanskrit70% rare
Rare

Indira

in-DEE-rah

Beauty, splendour; an epithet of Lakshmi

Sanskrit64% rare
Very Rare

Kamal

kuh-MAHL

Lotus, the flower that rises out of mud

Sanskrit84% rare
Very Rare

Karuna

kah-ROO-nah

Compassion, active mercy toward suffering

Sanskrit88% rare
Ultra Rare

Kokila

KO-kee-lah

The koel, the Indian cuckoo of spring

Sanskrit96% rare
Very Rare

Aarna

AAR-naa

Wave or flowing water, an epithet of Lakshmi

Sanskrit88% rare
Rare

Anika

AH-nih-kah

Grace, brilliance; an epithet of the goddess Durga

Sanskrit56% rare
Rare

Anushka

uh-NOOSH-kaa

Grace, a ray of light

Sanskrit62% rare
Browse all 1,284 names →

Kamala — frequently asked questions

What does the name Kamala mean?

Kamala means "Lotus; an epithet of Lakshmi, who is seated on one". It is a name of Sanskrit origin, most often given to a girl.

How do you pronounce Kamala?

Kamala is pronounced KAH-mah-lah, with 3 syllables.

How rare is the name Kamala?

Kamala scores 48 out of 100 on the NameRarity scale, which makes it uncommon. Roughly 1 in every 8,333 people carry it — about 120 per million.

What is the numerology number for Kamala?

Kamala carries the expression number 3, known as The Storyteller. Its soul urge number is 3 and its personality number is 9.

What is the lucky number and lucky colour for Kamala?

The lucky number for Kamala is 3 (with 12, 21, 30 also favourable), and its lucky colour is Lilac Amethyst. The traditional lucky day is Thursday and the associated gemstone is Amethyst.