Bahamas: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Bahamas – Meaning: shallow sea (one of two competing theories) – Origin: Spanish or indigenous Lucayan (disputed) – Pronunciation: buh-HAH-muhz


Bahamas is a Spanish or indigenous Lucayan (disputed) name meaning “shallow sea (one of two competing theories)”. It appears in our list of 200+ Geographical Baby Names Inspired by Places Around the World.

Meaning & Origin of Bahamas

Meaning: Shallow sea (one of two competing theories).

Origin: Spanish or indigenous Lucayan (disputed).

A common claim: Bahamas is said to mean 'shallow sea' in Spanish. Actually: This is only one of two proposed origins — an indigenous-language origin is equally plausible.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Bahamas

Phonetic: buh-HAH-muhz   IPA: /bəˈhɑː.məz/

Popularity of Bahamas

Bahamas doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.

Lists That Include Bahamas

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