Sonam

Sonam is a given name. It is a Tibetan name meaning "merit". Separately, it is also a name in various Indo-Aryan languages (Devanagari script: ).

People with this name include:

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 (engineer) (born 1966), Indian engineer from Ladakh