Burma

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Burma

Pronounced BUR-muh /ˈbɜr.mə/Medium

Meaning: Burma is a rare place-name given to girls in the early twentieth century, taken from the country of Burma (today Myanmar); the country's English name derives from Bamar/Myanma, the majority people, so as a given name it is a geographic borrowing rather than a traditional personal name.Medium

In 30 seconds: Burma is an early-1900s place-name pick — the Southeast Asian country now called Myanmar — chosen simply for its sound and worldly ring (said 'BUR-muh').

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Origin MediumEnglish, Burmese

MeaningBurma is a rare place-name given to girls in the early twentieth century, taken from the country of Burma (today Myanmar); the country's English name derives from Bamar/Myanma, the majority people, so as a given name it is a geographic borrowing rather than a traditional personal name.

U.S. rank (1965)#5878 ↗ Rising

1965 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1941

Total births (all-time)≈ 931

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Burma takes its name from the Southeast Asian nation known in English as Burma and today officially as Myanmar; the name comes from the Bamar people. As a girl's name it was a purely geographic borrowing — chosen for its melodic sound and far-off associations rather than any personal meaning — which we note plainly and neutrally.

Burma has a very faint American record from the 1890s, cresting around 1941 and gone by the mid-1960s — only a few dozen girls a year at most. It reads as a curiosity of early-twentieth-century place-naming, firmly of its time.

Did you know? Burma reflects an early-twentieth-century American taste for exotic-sounding geographic names on girls, a small trend that also gave the era names like India and Cuba.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Burma (place-name) — country now Myanmar; geographic given name

Variations

Berma

Nicknames

Bur

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Burma…

India— a like country place-name for girls of the era

Asia— another geographic girls' name of similar flavor

Savannah— a place-name that became a girls' name

Nelma— lands in the same popularity range

Noma— shares Burma's English roots

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Burma mean?

Burma is a place-name given to girls, from the Southeast Asian country of Burma, today known as Myanmar.

How do you pronounce Burma?

It's said BUR-muh /ˈbɜr.mə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Burma a boy or girl name?

Burma is used here as a girl's name.

How popular is Burma?

Burma is very rare — an early-twentieth-century place-name borne by only a few dozen girls a year at its peak.