UK name, mostly girls
Dharma
A Sanskrit name meaning divine law, ethics, duty, or righteousness.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Dharma is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Dharma popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4684, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 9 births.
This profile covers 78 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1998 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 84 living people in the UK are called Dharma. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Dharma ranked #4684 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 9 girls were registered as Dharma.
- • Dharma ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #532 in 1999.
- • About 84 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dharma as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.3% of Dharma registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4684
2018
Births in 2018
4
Latest year
Peak year
2002
9 births
Estimated living
84
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Dharma
In England and Wales birth records, Dharma has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.7% of registrations are for boys and 96.3% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Dharma registered for boys
- Ranked #4,647 in 2011
- 3 boys registered in 2011
- Peak: 2011 (3 births)
Dharma registered for girls
- Ranked #4,684 in 2018
- 4 girls registered in 2018
- Peak: 2002 (9 births)
Meaning
What does Dharma mean?
The name Dharma has its origins in the Sanskrit language, one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back to the second millennium BCE. It is a prominent name in Indian culture and Hinduism, where it holds deep religious and philosophical significance.
The word "Dharma" is derived from the Sanskrit root "dhri," which means to uphold, sustain, or support. It is a complex concept in Hinduism, encompassing cosmic order, righteousness, duty, and the ethical principles that govern the universe and human conduct.
Dharma is a central concept in the ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. It is often personified as a cosmic force that upholds the natural order and the moral fabric of society. The concept of Dharma is deeply intertwined with the ideas of karma, reincarnation, and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
One of the earliest recorded references to Dharma can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest and most revered texts in Hinduism, composed between 1500 and 1000 BCE. The name Dharma is also mentioned in the Mahabharata, a renowned Indian epic that dates back to the 8th or 9th century BCE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Dharma:
1. Dharma Raja (c. 550 BCE - 480 BCE), a legendary king in ancient India known for his exceptional commitment to justice and righteousness. 2. Dharma Shastri (c. 700 CE - 780 CE), a renowned Indian scholar and author who wrote extensively on the principles of Dharma and its application in daily life. 3. Dharma Vira (1765 - 1846), an Indian revolutionary who fought against the British East India Company and advocated for the rights of the oppressed. 4. Dharma Thakor (1865 - 1933), a prominent Indian social reformer and educator who worked towards the upliftment of women and the underprivileged. 5. Dharma Raj Ghale (1964 - present), a Nepali environmentalist and activist known for his efforts in preserving the Himalayan ecosystems.
The name Dharma continues to hold significant cultural and spiritual importance in various regions of South Asia, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, where it represents the universal principles of righteousness, truth, and the path to enlightenment.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Dharma over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Dharma in England and Wales, from 1998 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Dharma, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2018, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dharma by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dharma was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4644 | 17 | 4 |
| 2000s | #3600 | 51 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2793 | 10 | 2 |
Geography
Where Dharma is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Dharma. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Dharma ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #532 in 1999.
Across the UK
Dharma in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#532 in 1999
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Dharma
- Daisy 49,435
- Danielle 13,507
- Darcie 11,010
- Darcy 10,516
- Darcey 9,708
- Delilah 9,098
- Demi 9,052
- Daniella 4,324
- Destiny 3,732
- Diana 3,258
- Dorothy 3,104
- Dolly 2,246
FAQ
Dharma: questions and answers
How popular is the name Dharma in the UK right now?
In 2018, Dharma was ranked #4684 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Dharma most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 9 babies registered as Dharma in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Dharma?
A Sanskrit name meaning divine law, ethics, duty, or righteousness.
How many people are called Dharma in the UK?
A total of 78 babies have been registered as Dharma across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Dharma most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Dharma ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #532 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.