| Amara | Chioma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | grace | Good God / good fortune |
| Origin | igbo | igbo |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | uh-MAR-uh | chee-OH-mah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1961 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (2,630) | 1997 (40) |
| In 2025 | 2,630 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amara | Chioma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13,101 | 119 |
| 2010s | 9,418 | 196 |
| 2000s | 4,294 | 277 |
| 1990s | 1,402 | 234 |
| 1980s | 523 | 139 |
| 1970s | 214 | 33 |
| 1960s | 30 | 0 |
In Igbo (Nigeria) 'amara' means 'grace', a short form of names like Amarachi ('God's grace'). The same form appears elsewhere with other senses (Sanskrit 'amara', immortal; a poetic Latin/Italian echo of 'love'), but the best-attested meaning is the Igbo 'grace'.
Igbo, 'good God' or 'good chi,' from Chi ('God, personal spirit') + oma ('good'), often understood as the blessing of a good personal destiny. Chiefly feminine.
Amara is more popular than Chioma today: about 2,630 US babies were given the name Amara in 2025, compared with 0 named Chioma.
Amara means grace (igbo origin), while Chioma means Good God / good fortune (igbo origin).
In US records, Amara first appears in 1961 and Chioma in 0, so Chioma has the longer recorded history.