Araoluwa
A Nigerian Yoruba name meaning "Blessing from God".
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the first name Araoluwa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 73.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Araoluwa today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Araoluwa births was 2022 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Araoluwa. 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 Araoluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
139
~ 1 in 2,465,859 Americans
Peak year
2022
22 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,467
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Araoluwa
Araoluwa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 140 total registrations, 37 (26.4%) were male and 103 (73.6%) were female.
Araoluwa as a male name
- Ranked #12,441 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (8 births)
Araoluwa as a female name
- Ranked #8,467 in 2024
- 12 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (19 births)
Popularity
Araoluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Araoluwa from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 94 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
Araoluwa 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 Araoluwa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Araoluwas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Araoluwa
Araoluwa is a given name of Yoruba origin, originating from the southwestern region of Nigeria in West Africa. It is a combination of two words from the Yoruba language: "ara," meaning "body or being," and "oluwa," meaning "lord or master." Together, the name can be interpreted as "God's being" or "Lord's being."
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage dating back centuries, with a deep reverence for their traditional beliefs and practices. Names often reflect this connection to their spiritual and ancestral roots. Araoluwa is a name that expresses gratitude and reverence towards the divine, acknowledging the creator as the source of one's existence.
While the exact origin of the name Araoluwa is uncertain, it is believed to have been in use among the Yoruba people for many generations. It is possible that the name may have been mentioned in ancient Yoruba oral traditions, folktales, or proverbs, as many names were passed down through these cultural narratives.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Araoluwa can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba linguist and Anglican missionary who lived in the 19th century (1809-1891). Crowther played a significant role in documenting and preserving the Yoruba language and culture.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Araoluwa. One such individual is Araoluwa Adebayo, a Nigerian politician and member of the House of Representatives, representing the Ogo-Oluwa/Oranmiyan constituency of Oyo State.
Another prominent figure is Araoluwa Ogunjobi, a Nigerian lawyer and human rights advocate who has been actively involved in promoting access to justice and legal aid for the underprivileged.
In the realm of academia, Araoluwa Omotoso is a respected Nigerian scholar and professor of English literature at the University of Ibadan, known for her contributions to the study of African literature and cultural studies.
Araoluwa Oyebadejo is a Nigerian entrepreneur and businesswoman who has made significant strides in the field of agriculture and food production, promoting sustainable farming practices in her country.
Lastly, Araoluwa Faleye is a Nigerian artist and painter whose works have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and artistic expressions of the Yoruba people.
These examples demonstrate the enduring presence and significance of the name Araoluwa across various domains, from politics and law to academia, business, and the arts, reflecting the diverse talents and contributions of individuals bearing this name.
People
Araoluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Araoluwa 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
Araoluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Araoluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 139 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Araoluwa 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 2,465,859 US residents.
Is Araoluwa a common name?
We classify Araoluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 140 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Araoluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Araoluwa was 2022, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Araoluwa is about 6 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 Araoluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Araoluwa a female name?
Yes, 73.6% of people registered as Araoluwa 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 Araoluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Araoluwa 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 Araoluwa 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 are called Araoluwa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.