Chögyam

Chögyam is a Tibetan male given name that appears in the names of Buddhist teachers and practitioners. It is commonly used as part of longer personal names and, in transliteration from Tibetan, is rendered in several variants such as Chögyam, Choegyam, or Chowgyam. In Tibetan Buddhist contexts, names containing Chögyam are associated with the Dharma and its transmission, and the element is often treated as an honorific or descriptive component within a lineage-based naming tradition.

The best-known bearer of the name is Chögyam Trungpa (1939–1987), a Tibetan Buddhist lama who fled Tibet in the 1950s and later settled in the United Kingdom and North America. Trungpa founded the Shambhala Training program and Naropa University in Colorado, and he authored numerous books on meditation, Buddhism, and contemplative practice. His work played a major role in introducing Tibetan Buddhist concepts and meditation practices to Western audiences and has influenced contemporary mindfulness and secular meditation communities.

Beyond Trungpa, the name Chögyam appears in various Tibetan Buddhist lineages and communities, typically as part of individual names rather than as a standalone title. The spelling and pronunciation of the name vary with dialect and transliteration, reflecting differences in rendering Tibetan sounds into the Latin alphabet. Overall, Chögyam remains a recognized element in Tibetan Buddhist nomenclature, signaling lineage, dharma connection, and scholarly or meditative attainment within the tradition.