Sonam

Last updated September 26, 2025

Sonam is a given name commonly used in North Indian, Tibetan, Nepalese and Bhutanese cultures. It is a Tibetan name meaning "merit" (Tibetan : བསོད་ནམས, Wylie : bsod nams, ZYPY : Soinam).^[1] Separately, it is also a name in various Indo-Aryan languages (Devanagari script: सोनम).

Buddhism

Sönam Choklang, 2nd Panchen Lama (1438–1505)
Sonam Gyatso, 3rd Dalai Lama (1543–1588), first officially recognized Dalai Lama
Sonam Lhundrup (1456–1531), great abbot of Mustang
Sonam Rapten (1595–1658), senior official of the Gelugpa School
Sonam Rinchen (1933–2013), Buddhist Geshe from Kham
Jinpa Sonam (born 1955), Indian Buddhist teacher from Ladakh, director of the Indiana Buddhist center

Entertainers

Sonam (actress) (born Bakhtavar Khan, 1972), Indian actress
Sonam Bajwa (born 1989), Indian actress of Punjabi descent
Sonam Bisht (fl. 2013–present), Indian actress from Uttarakhand
Sonam Kapoor (born 1985), Indian film actress and fashion icon
Sonam Kinga (fl. 1998–present), Bhutanese actor
Sonam Lamba (born 1995), Indian actress from Chandigarh
Sonam Lhamo (born 1988), Bhutanese actress
Sonam Mukherjee (fl. 2010–present, Indian actress from Mumbai
Sonam Tshering Lepcha (1928–2020), Indian folk musician from Sikkim
Soname Yangchen (born 1973), Tibetan singer and songwriter
Tenzing Sonam (born 1959), Tibetan film director

Politics and government

Sonom (died 1776), king of the rGyalrong people in China
Sonam Drakpa (1359–1408), regent of Central Tibet
Sonam Gyatso Lepcha (fl. 1999–present), Indian politician from Sikkim
Sonam Lama (born c. 1975), Indian politician from Sikkim
Sonam Pelzom (born c. 1986), Bhutanese politician
Sonam Topgay Dorji (1896–1953), Bhutanese politician
Sonam Topgyal (1940–2012), Kalön Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration
Sonam Tobgye (born 1949), Bhutanese judge
Sonam Venchungpa (fl. 2019), Indian politician from Sikkim
Sonam Wangchuk (born 1964), Indian Army veteran from Ladakh
Jalley Sonam (fl. 2012–present), Indian politician and trade unionist from Arunachal Pradesh

Sport

Sonam Bhutia (born 1994), Indian footballer from Sikkim
Sonam Chuki (born 1963), Bhutanese archer
Sonam Gyatso (mountaineer) (1923–1968), Sikkimese mountaineer
Sonam Tenzin (born 1986), Bhutanese footballer
Sonam Tobgay (born 1990), Bhutanese cricketer and footballer
Sonam Wangyal (born 1942), Indian mountaineer from Sikkim known for scaling Mount Everest
Sonam Yoezer (born 1994), Bhutanese footballer

Other

Sonam Dechen Wangchuck (born 1981), princess of Bhutan
Sonam Dolma Brauen, (born 1953), Tibetan-Swiss painter
Sonam Lotus, Indian meteorologist from Ladakh
Sonam Wangchuk (born 1966), Indian engineer from Ladakh

References

↑ Buswell, Robert E. Jr.; Lopez, Donald S. Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 1232. ISBN 9780691157863.

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[1] Buswell, Robert E. Jr.; Lopez, Donald S. Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 1232. ISBN 9780691157863.

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