Soham
Masculine · “I am That”
Soham is a Sanskrit sentence — I am That — and it names a meditation practice built on the sound of ordinary breathing.
How old is the name Soham?
Soham first appears in US birth records in 1992 — 33 years ago. The typical Soham alive today was born around 2010, making them about 15 years old. About 1,100 people named Soham are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Soham most popular?
Soham peaked in 2010, reaching #1986 nationally. Today it ranks #4050, 2,064 places below that high. See the whole 2010 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From so'ham to Soham
The story of Soham
The practice attached to it is unusually elegant: the breath is held to say the phrase by itself, so on the inhalation and ham on the exhalation, so that the meditation is simply the attention brought to something already happening. The phrase belongs to the Upanishadic literature and states the identity of atman and brahman. Its use as a personal name is modern and widespread across India.
Meaning
I am That
From Sanskrit sah, that, and aham, I; the phrase asserts identity between the individual self and the absolute, and is one of the mahavakyas, the great statements of the Upanishads.
How the name formed
- so'ham
- Soham
Related forms: Soham · So'ham · Soham
Pronouncing Soham
SOH-hum
Two syllables, first stressed. The h is fully sounded.
Nicknames for Soham
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
- 1992
- Most boys named
- 201069 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1986reached in 2010
- Change vs 2024
- +44.4%26 in 2025, from 18
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.
Soham in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Soham in Hindi — transliteration
- So'ham in Sanskrit — same name
- Soham in Marathi — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Illinois.
Sohams among us
people named Soham are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 65,695 born in 2025 was named Soham
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 Aurel test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Soham's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Aurel climbed just as high around 1917, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Aurel's path sketches the road Soham is walking now.
Soham 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 Soham is headed
Soham should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low 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.
Soham beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Soham in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning that is a complete philosophical statement.
- The breathing practice behind it is genuinely worth telling.
- Five letters and two syllables, quick to write.
- The h in the middle is swallowed by English speakers.
- There is an English town of the name, which is a coincidence.
- The philosophical claim is a large thing to hand a child.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Soham to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Soham? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Soham
Masculine · #4050 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Sohams are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,100 people named Soham are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Soham in 2025?
- Soham ranks #4050 among US boy names in 2025, with 26 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Soham?
- About 1 in every 65,695 US boys born in 2025 was named Soham — 26 in all.
- Will my child share the name Soham with classmates?
- Soham will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Soham
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Myer#4050 · Hewitt#4050 · Antonino#4050 · Egan#4050 · Johnmichael#4050 · Gauge#4050 · Emran#4050 · Freeman#4050
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Soham? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Soham and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
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
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle