Anuoluwa
An African name meaning "with the grace and wealth of God".
Name Census estimates that about 53 living Americans carry the first name Anuoluwa. It is a predominantly female name (90.6% of registrations). The average person named Anuoluwa today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Anuoluwa births was 2015 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Anuoluwa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Anuoluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Anuoluwa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
53
~ 1 in 6,467,063 Americans
Peak year
2015
7 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,321
Tracked since 2008
Gender
Gender distribution for Anuoluwa
Anuoluwa leans heavily female at 90.6% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Anuoluwa as a male name
- Ranked #12,321 in 2016
- 5 male births in 2016
- Peak: 2016 (5 births)
Anuoluwa as a female name
- Ranked #15,399 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2015 (7 births)
Popularity
Anuoluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Anuoluwa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 29 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Anuoluwa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anuoluwa 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 Anuoluwa 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 Anuoluwa
Anuoluwa is a given name of Yoruba origin, originating from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo. The name is derived from the Yoruba words "Anu" meaning "with" and "Oluwa" meaning "God," translating to "with God" or "God is with me." The name reflects the deep spiritual beliefs and traditions of the Yoruba culture, emphasizing the importance of divine guidance and protection.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Anuoluwa can be traced back to the 16th century, during the height of the Oyo Empire in present-day southwestern Nigeria. It was a popular name among the Yoruba people, who believed that giving their children meaningful names would bring blessings and good fortune.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Anuoluwa was Anuoluwa Ajayi, a renowned Yoruba warrior and leader who lived in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in defending the Oyo Empire against external threats and is remembered for his bravery and strategic military prowess.
Another historical figure bearing the name Anuoluwa was Anuoluwa Adeyemi, a respected Yoruba chief and diplomat from the 18th century. He was instrumental in fostering trade and diplomatic relations between the Oyo Empire and neighboring kingdoms, contributing to the region's economic and cultural prosperity.
In the 19th century, Anuoluwa Akinsemoyin was a prominent Yoruba scholar and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the preservation and dissemination of Yoruba cultural knowledge, authoring several important texts on Yoruba traditions and belief systems.
During the 20th century, Anuoluwa Ogunlesi gained recognition as a pioneering Nigerian educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools and educational programs aimed at empowering young women and promoting gender equality.
Anuoluwa Adebayo was a notable Nigerian novelist and playwright in the late 20th century. His works explored themes of identity, tradition, and the complexities of modern African societies, earning him critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
The name Anuoluwa continues to be a popular choice among the Yoruba people and those of Nigerian descent, carrying with it a deep cultural and spiritual significance. Its enduring presence reflects the rich heritage and traditions of the Yoruba people and their belief in the divine presence guiding and protecting their lives.
People
Anuoluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Anuoluwa 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
Anuoluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Anuoluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 53 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Anuoluwa 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 6,467,063 US residents.
Is Anuoluwa a common name?
We classify Anuoluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 55.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Anuoluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Anuoluwa was 2015, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Anuoluwa is about 9 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 Anuoluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Anuoluwa a female name?
Yes, 90.6% of people registered as Anuoluwa in the SSA data are female. 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 Anuoluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Anuoluwa 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 Anuoluwa 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 common is the name Anuoluwa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.