Neema
Feminine · “grace”
Neema is given to both — 784 girls and 256 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Neema is the Swahili word for grace, and it came into Swahili from Arabic — where nima names a blessing or a favor received.
How old is the name Neema?
Neema first appears in US birth records in 1972 — 53 years ago. The typical Neema is a kid of about 11 — this name's wave is very recent. About 800 people named Neema are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Neema most popular?
Neema peaked in 2019, reaching #3337 nationally. Today it ranks #4460, 1,123 places below that high. See the whole 2019 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From nima to Neema
The story of Neema
Swahili took a very large part of its abstract vocabulary from Arabic through centuries of Indian Ocean trade, and neema is one of those words — a blessing, a favor, prosperity. It is given as a name to a child born in good times or after a difficulty. It is used across Kenya and Tanzania and reaches American records with East African families and through African-American naming.
Meaning
grace, blessing, prosperity
From Arabic nima, a favor or blessing, borrowed into Swahili as neema; the root is about ease and comfort. Swahili uses it for grace and for being born into good circumstances.
How the name formed
- nima
- neema
Related forms: Neema · Nima · Ne'ima
Pronouncing Neema
NAY-mah
Two syllables, first stressed. Swahili gives even weight to both.
Nicknames for Neema
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1972
- Most girls named
- 201947 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3337reached in 2019
- Change vs 2024
- −6.1%31 in 2025, from 33
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Neema in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Neema in Swahili — same name
- Nima in Arabic — related form
- Ne'ima in Hebrew — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, Georgia, Arizona.
Neemas among us
people named Neema are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 51,847 born in 2025 was named Neema
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Elesa test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Neema's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Elesa climbed just as high around 1963, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Elesa's path sketches the road Neema is walking now.
Neema sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Neema is headed
Neema should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Neema beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Neema in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning that is warm and easy to explain.
- Five letters and two syllables, quick to write.
- Recognized across East Africa without explanation.
- Neema, Nema and Nima are all in use and none is dominant.
- It is close to Nia and Nema in an American ear.
- The Swahili and Arabic pronunciations differ slightly at the first vowel.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Neema
Feminine · #4460 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Neemas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 800 people named Neema are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Neema in 2025?
- Neema ranks #4460 among US girl names in 2025, with 31 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Neema?
- About 1 in every 51,847 US girls born in 2025 was named Neema — 31 in all.
- Will my child share the name Neema with classmates?
- Neema will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Neema
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Jayce#4460 · Nikita#4460 · Magali#4460 · Emari#4460 · Rilyn#4460 · Danyla#4460 · Lynleigh#4460 · Mandy#4460
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Neema? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Neema and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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