Uma is a Sanskrit name associated with the goddess Parvati and often interpreted as meaning splendor or tranquility.
Uma has roots in two distinct but equally ancient traditions. In Sanskrit, it is one of the most revered names of the goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva — variously interpreted to mean 'light,' 'fame,' 'tranquility,' or 'mother.' Some Vedic sources derive it from the exclamation 'U Ma!'
'), the words of Parvati's mother urging her to abandon her fierce austerities. In Old Norse, Uma appears as a poetic word related to thought and intuition. The name thus arrives carrying both the fire of a Hindu goddess and the quietude of northern myth.
In the West, Uma is almost entirely synonymous with Uma Thurman (born 1970), whose mother gave her the name partly in honor of the Sanskrit tradition. Her incandescent performances in Pulp Fiction (1994) and the Kill Bill films (2003–2004) made the name globally visible and gave it a contemporary edge — unconventional, memorable, difficult to categorize. In India, Uma has always been a dignified and beloved name, borne by countless women for whom its divine association is primary.
As a given name in the English-speaking world, Uma occupies rare territory: short enough to feel modern and crisp, ancient enough to feel substantial. It has grown steadily in popularity through the 21st century, appealing to parents who want something genuinely cross-cultural and unhurried by trend cycles.