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Sharmila
How to Pronounce Sharmila
Pronounced shar-MEE-lah /ʃɑrˈmiː.lɑ/Medium
Meaning: Sharmila derives from the Sanskrit root sharman, meaning shelter, protection, or joy, and is a familiar given name across India, especially in Bengali and Hindi-speaking families.Medium
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
Sharmila is a genuine Sanskrit name rooted in sharman, protection or comfort, and it travelled to the United States mainly with Indian immigrant families. It surfaced here only faintly, touching a modest high around 1977.
It was never common in America, given to only about twenty girls a year even at its peak, and it faded again by the late nineteen-nineties. A girl named Sharmila at that high would be in her late forties today. In India the name remains warm and well established.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Sharmila Tagore (b. 1944)Indian film actress prominent in Bengali and Hindi cinema
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Sharmila mean?
It comes from the Sanskrit sharman, meaning protection, shelter, or joy.
How do you pronounce Sharmila?
It is said shar-MEE-lah /ʃɑrˈmiː.lɑ/, three syllables with the stress in the middle.
Is Sharmila a boy or girl name?
Sharmila is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Sharmila?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the late nineteen-seventies, though it is well known in India.