A 1900s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Lima since 1897
Babies named Lima per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 |
| 1900s | 16 |
| 1910s | 41 |
| 1920s | 36 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 5 |
| 2010s | 43 |
| 2020s | 43 |
Meaning & origin
Lima is an exceedingly rare given name in the United States, first recorded in 1897. Its peak year of usage was 1904, after which it fell into near obscurity. However, since 2011, the name has been slowly rising in use, though it remains uncommon. In 2025, roughly 1 in 160,727 newborn girls received the name, placing it at rank 9,457. Lima has no strong correlation with any particular state; it appears sporadically across the country. The name's origins are uncertain, but its phonetic resemblance to place names and other short feminine names makes it a distinctive, modern-style choice.
Lima is a rare given name of uncertain origin. It may derive from the capital city of Peru, which itself is of uncertain etymology (possibly from the Quechua word 'limaq' meaning 'talker'). Alternatively, it could be a variant or diminutive of names like Lina or Leema. The name has been recorded in the United States since at least 1897, though it has never been common.
“Lima” around the world
Where Lima lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Lima
Names that share Lima's style, for a brother or sister.
