Chimereze
A feminine Nigerian name meaning "God has traveled".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Chimereze. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chimereze today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chimereze births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chimereze. 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 Chimereze. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,542
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Chimereze: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Chimereze 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 Chimereze during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Chimereze
The name Chimereze has its origins in the Igbo language, spoken predominantly in southeastern Nigeria. It is a compound word formed by combining the Igbo words "chi" and "mereze." The root "chi" refers to the personal spiritual force or guardian spirit believed to guide and protect an individual throughout their life in traditional Igbo cosmology. The word "mereze" translates to "kindness" or "gentleness."
Chimereze can be interpreted as a name that invokes the benevolent spiritual guidance and protection associated with one's personal chi, while also expressing the virtues of kindness and gentleness. This name likely emerged in the context of the Igbo cultural traditions and beliefs during the pre-colonial era in West Africa.
While the exact origin and earliest recorded use of the name Chimereze remain uncertain, it has been in use within Igbo communities for generations. One of the earliest known individuals to bear this name was Chimereze Okoli, a prominent Igbo chief and landowner who lived in the mid-19th century in the town of Awka, located in present-day Anambra State, Nigeria.
Another notable figure was Chimereze Nwosu, a respected Igbo scholar and educator born in 1912 in Owerri, Nigeria. He made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Igbo language and culture, publishing several works on Igbo literature and folklore.
In the realm of literature, Chimereze Ifelunini was a celebrated Igbo poet and playwright from the 20th century. Born in 1925 in Owerri, his works explored themes of cultural identity, tradition, and the challenges faced by the Igbo people during the colonial era and the Nigerian Civil War.
The name Chimereze also gained recognition through Chimereze Oputa, a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist born in 1940 in Oguta, Imo State. He played a prominent role in advocating for democracy and civil liberties in Nigeria during the military regimes of the 1980s and 1990s.
Another notable figure was Chimereze Ezeife, a Nigerian politician and entrepreneur born in 1939 in Ibusa, Delta State. He served as the governor of Anambra State from 1992 to 1993 and was known for his efforts to promote economic development and infrastructural projects in the region.
While the name Chimereze has its roots in the Igbo culture, it has transcended its linguistic and geographic origins, gaining recognition and popularity across Nigeria and beyond, particularly among those with Igbo heritage or connections.
People
Chimereze + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chimereze as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chimereze: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chimereze?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chimereze 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Chimereze a common name?
We classify Chimereze as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chimereze most popular?
The single biggest year for Chimereze was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chimereze is about 10 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 Chimereze in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chimereze a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chimereze 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 Chimereze still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chimereze 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 Chimereze 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 Chimereze?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.