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Sema as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sema

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The baby name Sema is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /seˈma/ — seh-MAH.

Sema is Turkish in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Turkish
Pronunciation: /seˈma/ — seh-MAH

What is the meaning of the name Sema ?

The baby name Sema is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /seˈma/ — seh-MAH.

Sema is Turkish in Origin.

Sema (SEH-mah) is a Turkish feminine name deriving from Arabic samā’ (سماء), meaning “sky, heavens” and by extension “the lofty expanse.” In Turkish culture it also echoes samā‘, the Sufi practice of sacred listening, known as the Mevlevi “Sema” ceremony, giving the name a spiritual, artistic resonance. The underlying Arabic root s-m-w conveys elevation and highness, reinforcing the airy imagery.

Used in Turkey since the early 20th century and peaking mid- to late-century, Sema remains familiar among Turkish and Balkan communities and the diaspora. In Arabic-speaking contexts it sometimes appears as a transliteration variant of Sama/Samā’. Cross-culturally, Sema also functions as a Russian and Ukrainian nickname for the male name Semyon (from Hebrew Shimon, “he has heard”), making it a rare case of gender and etymology shifting by language. Variants and related forms include Sama, Samaa, Samā’, and, in older Turkish orthography, Semâ.

Sema has the following similar or variant Names

Sema – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
AZ Girls 0 #30 54 1,051
AZ 0 #37 7 706
GE 0 #44 1 997
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
BG 0 #79 4 1,799
AF Girls 0 #87 8 2,402
GE Girls 0 #102 7 1,564
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
TR 0 #114 21,551 19,440
IQ 0 #117 13 3,533
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
AZ Boys 0 #128 4 1,400
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
RS Girls 0 #135 3 1,651
SI Girls 0 #164 11 2,769
IQ Girls 0 #170 487 11,303
BG Girls 0 #171 54 3,559
Sweden Girls 2022 #178 2 1,568
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
DK 0 #203 4 5,198
BD 0 #216 12 5,992
AL Girls 0 #220 8 4,141
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
GR Girls 0 #224 19 6,293
NA Boys 0 #225 11 6,830
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
NA Girls 0 #235 3 7,146
JO Girls 0 #238 90 7,570
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
KZ Boys 0 #274 16 6,578
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
SA 0 #281 15 10,560
DK Girls 0 #283 34 7,429
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
SD Girls 0 #295 51 7,678
QA Girls 0 #302 15 15,378
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
KZ Girls 0 #306 15 5,862
BD Girls 0 #313 74 8,413
RU Boys 0 #323 196 12,621
SY 0 #326 597 11,684
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
Austria Girls 0 #337 84 1,885
OM Girls 0 #342 55 15,987
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
YE 0 #358 24 8,639
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
NL 0 #363 29 2,481
JO Boys 0 #381 9 7,057
EG 0 #387 14 6,387
France Boys 2020 #389 3 2,846
Germany 0 #393 45 2,542
PS Girls 0 #395 132 10,981
France Girls 2021 #397 9 3,185
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
SD Boys 0 #430 16 10,523
LY 0 #438 99 12,703
Germany Girls 0 #450 489 4,949
RU Girls 0 #457 42 11,913
ZA 0 #472 3 14,421
AE Girls 0 #478 76 20,968
KW Girls 0 #481 35 19,177
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
IL Girls 0 #484 135 11,648
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
CM Boys 0 #523 28 12,054
PS Boys 0 #525 24 10,655
CM Girls 0 #528 13 11,671
BH 0 #536 18 17,937
IR Girls 0 #540 6 8,334
BD Boys 0 #552 25 10,045
SA Girls 0 #556 401 25,931
IR Boys 0 #562 4 10,162
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
IL Boys 0 #582 26 10,983
IN Girls 0 #586 46 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #596 72 13,071
SG Girls 0 #631 2 18,916
LB 0 #632 27 13,263
EG Girls 0 #649 328 14,742
HK Girls 0 #649 2 16,104
BO Girls 0 #650 2 9,488
QA Boys 0 #696 12 18,093
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
NL Girls 0 #715 244 5,933
Finland Girls 2026 #727 12 3,895
KW Boys 0 #749 21 18,755
BR Boys 0 #781 5 12,213
EG Boys 0 #816 71 15,035
TN 0 #816 14 13,765
NG Girls 0 #822 5 15,093
OM Boys 0 #865 17 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #888 43 5,610
United States Girls 2023 #910 5 8,600
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
Germany Boys 0 #939 14 5,697
MY Girls 0 #955 40 24,821
CO Boys 0 #975 7 15,656
BR Girls 0 #987 6 12,708
NG Boys 0 #994 8 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,006 5 14,861
MX Boys 0 #1,027 7 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
DZ 0 #1,044 133 20,130
AE Boys 0 #1,068 25 22,615
MA 0 #1,083 46 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,095 47 25,928
MY Boys 0 #1,099 13 25,439
CO Girls 0 #1,148 5 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,166 13 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,263 5 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,419 28 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,456 16 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,509 106 28,008

Sema is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

France
United States
Sweden
Brussels, Belgium
AE

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People also ask about Sema

Sema is predominantly a girl's name.
Sema is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /seˈma/ — seh-MAH.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Sama.
Across languages, Sema has these equivalents: Sama (Arabic), Skye (English), Celeste (Latin).
Yes — Sema ranked #178 in Sweden in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Sema ranks highest in Sweden (#178 in 2022).
Sema's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #414 in 2011 to #397 in 2021 in France.