Antwana
A feminine name derived from the French "Antoine", meaning praiseworthy or highly esteemed.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Antwana. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Antwana today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Antwana births was 1982 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Antwana. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Antwana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1982
7 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1982 SSA rank
#5,044
Tracked since 1978
Gender
Gender distribution for Antwana
Antwana is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 12 total registrations, 7 (58.3%) were male and 5 (41.7%) were female.
Antwana as a male name
- Ranked #5,044 in 1982
- 7 male births in 1982
- Peak: 1982 (7 births)
Antwana as a female name
- Ranked #9,854 in 1978
- 5 female births in 1978
- Peak: 1978 (5 births)
Popularity
Antwana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Antwana from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Antwana by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Antwana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Antwana
The name Antwana has its roots in the Kiswahili language, spoken primarily in East Africa. It is believed to have originated during the 16th century, when the coastal regions of present-day Kenya and Tanzania were experiencing a cultural renaissance fueled by the thriving trade routes between the African interior and the Middle East.
Derived from the Kiswahili word "anwani," which means "address" or "location," the name Antwana was initially used to denote a person's place of origin or residence. As trade and cultural exchange flourished, the name gained popularity and spread across the region, eventually transcending its literal meaning to become a personal name.
While no definitive records exist of the name's earliest usage, it is believed to have been mentioned in oral traditions and folklore passed down through generations. However, the first written reference to Antwana can be traced back to a 17th-century Swahili poem, where it was used to describe a character's strength and resilience.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Antwana. One of the earliest recorded examples is Antwana ibn Khalid, a renowned Swahili poet and philosopher who lived in the late 17th century and was celebrated for his insightful works on the human condition.
In the 19th century, Antwana Mchanga emerged as a influential figure in the resistance against German colonialism in present-day Tanzania. A skilled orator and strategist, Mchanga rallied local communities and played a pivotal role in the Maji Maji Rebellion of 1905-1907.
Moving into the 20th century, Antwana Shaban gained prominence as a pioneering Tanzanian journalist and activist. Born in 1920, Shaban used his platform to advocate for social justice and the empowerment of marginalized communities, leaving a lasting impact on the country's political and cultural landscape.
In the realm of sports, Antwana Masiya, a Kenyan long-distance runner born in 1935, etched his name in history by becoming the first African to win the prestigious Boston Marathon in 1966, paving the way for future generations of African athletes on the global stage.
More recently, Antwana Nyambu (1952-2018) was a celebrated Tanzanian writer and scholar whose works explored themes of identity, tradition, and the complexities of modern African society. Her novels and essays garnered critical acclaim and contributed to the rich tapestry of East African literature.
People
Antwana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Antwana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Antwana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Antwana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Antwana going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Antwana a common name?
We classify Antwana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Antwana most popular?
The single biggest year for Antwana was 1982, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Antwana is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Antwana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Antwana a male name?
Yes, 58.3% of people registered as Antwana in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Antwana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Antwana in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Antwana can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Antwana?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.