Yama

♂ Boy

Pronounced YAH-mah /ˈjɑ.mɑ/Medium

Meaning: From the Sanskrit Yama, 'the twin; the restrainer/binder' (from yam, 'to restrain'); the Hindu god of death and justice, first of mortals and lord of the departed; routes layered; we note the godLow

In 30 seconds: The twin; the restrainer: Yama is the Hindu god of death. Crisp, classic, and warm (said 'YAH-mah'). We note the god.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowHindu, Sanskrit

MeaningFrom the Sanskrit Yama, 'the twin; the restrainer/binder' (from yam, 'to restrain'); the Hindu god of death and justice, first of mortals and lord of the departed; routes layered; we note the god

U.S. rank (2022)#10799 ↗ Rising

2022 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1991

Total births (all-time)≈ 73

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

Yama comes from the Sanskrit Yama, 'the twin; the restrainer/binder' (from yam, 'to restrain'); the Hindu god of death and justice (routes layered, which we note the god). A crisp, classic name (said 'YAH-mah').

In the U.S. it appears very rarely as a mythology name. Rare, the-restrainer at the root, and crisp.

Did you know? Yama is 'the twin; the restrainer' in Sanskrit (from yam, 'to restrain') — the Hindu god of death and justice, first of mortals and lord of the departed — a crisp, storied name (the routes are layered, which we note the god; said 'YAH-mah').

Overall data confidence 46%

References — Yama — Hindu mythology; god; routes layered

Variations

Yamaraja

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Yama…

Indra— a fellow Vedic god

Agni— the fire-god

Surya— his father, the sun-god

Bhima— shares the -ma ending

Karma— shares Yama's Sanskrit roots

Explore names like Yama

By themeuncertain mythology hindu god

By meaningGod / Divine Snow / Winter

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Yama mean?

Yama is Sanskrit for 'the twin; the restrainer/binder' (from yam); the god of death and justice. The routes are layered. We note the god.

How do you pronounce Yama?

It's said YAH-mah /ˈjɑ.mɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Yama a boy or girl name?

Yama is a boy's name.

How popular is Yama?

Yama is a very rare name in the U.S.