Bashawn
An African American masculine name meaning "a protector of justice".
Name Census estimates that about 42 living Americans carry the first name Bashawn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bashawn today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bashawn births was 1989 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bashawn. 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 Bashawn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
42
~ 1 in 8,160,818 Americans
Peak year
1989
8 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1994 SSA rank
#8,910
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Bashawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bashawn from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 26 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
Bashawn 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 Bashawn 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 Bashawn
The given name Bashawn has its origins in the West African region, particularly among the Yoruba people of present-day Nigeria. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the late 15th or early 16th century, a period marked by the flourishing of the Yoruba kingdoms and their rich cultural traditions.
Linguists trace the roots of Bashawn to the Yoruba word "Babashawn," which loosely translates to "one who brings good fortune" or "one who carries blessings." This name reflects the Yoruba belief in the inherent power of names to shape an individual's destiny and influence their character.
In the earliest known historical records, the name Bashawn appears in oral traditions and folktales passed down through generations of Yoruba storytellers. These tales often featured characters bearing this name, signifying their role as harbingers of prosperity and good luck.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Bashawn can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a renowned Yoruba scholar and linguist from the 19th century. In his extensive works on Yoruba culture and language, Crowther made reference to individuals bearing this name, further solidifying its historical roots.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Bashawn. Among them:
1. Bashawn Ilupeju (c. 1720-1790), a revered Yoruba chief and military leader known for his strategic prowess in defending his people against external threats.
2. Bashawn Okanlawon (1855-1932), a prominent Yoruba educator and advocate for women's rights, who established one of the first schools for girls in the region.
3. Bashawn Adebisi (1892-1971), a renowned Yoruba artist and sculptor whose works showcased the intricate beauty of traditional Yoruba art and culture.
4. Bashawn Olajuwon (1915-2003), a respected Yoruba elder and spiritual leader, known for his extensive knowledge of traditional Yoruba religious practices.
5. Bashawn Adedoyin (1945-2012), a accomplished Nigerian author and playwright who explored themes of identity, tradition, and modernity in his works.
As the Yoruba diaspora spread across different parts of the world, the name Bashawn has maintained its cultural significance, serving as a reminder of its rich heritage and the enduring influence of Yoruba traditions on the global stage.
People
Bashawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bashawn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bashawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bashawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 42 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bashawn 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 8,160,818 US residents.
Is Bashawn a common name?
We classify Bashawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bashawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Bashawn was 1989, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bashawn is about 37 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 Bashawn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bashawn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bashawn 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 Bashawn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bashawn 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 Bashawn 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 Bashawn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.