Home βΊ Baby Names Directory βΊ Arma
Arma
How to Pronounce Arma
Pronounced AR-muh /ΛΙr.mΙ/High
Meaning: Arma is a vintage American girls' name of uncertain root, best read as a variant of Alma (Latin 'nourishing, kind', or Spanish 'soul') or of Erma/Irma (a Germanic name from ermen, 'whole, universal'). Both fit its short, two-beat shape; the route is uncertain.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Arma is a genuine early-twentieth-century American name whose origin is not firmly documented. It reads most plausibly as a variant of Alma (Latin 'nourishing, kind'; Spanish and Italian 'soul') or of Erma/Irma, a Germanic name from ermen, 'whole, universal'. Both are close in sound and era; we present them rather than invent a single root.
It was always rare β a few dozen girls a year at its faint peak in the mid-nineteen-forties β and it faded across the century into disuse. It reads as a true vintage short name, a cousin of Alma and Erma; with its origin uncertain, it has stayed obscure rather than revived.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Armaβ¦
Explore names like Arma
Frequently Asked
What does the name Arma mean?
Arma is a vintage name of uncertain root, most likely a variant of Alma ('nourishing, soul') or Erma/Irma ('whole, universal'). We note that honestly.
How do you pronounce Arma?
It's said AR-muh /ΛΙr.mΙ/ β two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Arma a boy or girl name?
Arma is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Arma?
Arma has always been rare in the U.S., a vintage name most seen in the early twentieth century.