Chizitere
A feminine Nigerian name meaning "God's praise" or "praise God".
Name Census estimates that about 23 living Americans carry the first name Chizitere. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 78.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Chizitere today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chizitere births was 2013 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chizitere. 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 Chizitere with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chizitere. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
23
~ 1 in 14,902,363 Americans
Peak year
2013
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,388
Tracked since 2013
Gender
Gender distribution for Chizitere
Chizitere is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 23 total registrations, 5 (21.7%) were male and 18 (78.3%) were female.
Chizitere as a male name
- Ranked #12,388 in 2020
- 5 male births in 2020
- Peak: 2020 (5 births)
Chizitere as a female name
- Ranked #14,519 in 2017
- 6 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2013 (6 births)
Popularity
Chizitere: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chizitere from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 18 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chizitere 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 Chizitere 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 Chizitere
The name Chizitere has its origins in the Igbo language spoken predominantly in southeastern Nigeria. Chizitere is a compound word derived from the Igbo words "Chi" meaning "God" or "spiritual force," and "zitere" meaning "to stay" or "to abide." The name is believed to have emerged during the pre-colonial period in the region known as the Igbo heartland, spanning parts of present-day Anambra, Enugu, Imo, and Abia states.
Despite its deep cultural roots, there are no known instances of the name Chizitere appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from the region. The earliest documented examples of the name can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coinciding with the arrival of Christian missionaries and the introduction of written records in the area.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Chizitere was a prominent Igbo trader and community leader from the town of Nri, who lived in the late 19th century. Unfortunately, historical records from that era do not provide his exact dates of birth and death.
In the 20th century, several notable individuals have carried the name Chizitere. One such person was Chizitere Nwagwu (1912-1988), a renowned Igbo artist and sculptor who was celebrated for his intricate woodcarvings and mastery of traditional Igbo art forms.
Another individual of note was Chizitere Obiora (1928-2001), a Nigerian politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives and later as Nigeria's ambassador to several countries, including the United States and Canada.
Chizitere Onyema (born 1957) is a contemporary figure who has made significant contributions to the Nigerian financial sector. She is the founder and former chief executive officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), playing a pivotal role in modernizing and strengthening the country's capital markets.
In the literary world, Chizitere Ihijirika (born 1964) is a celebrated Nigerian author and poet whose works often explore themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of the Igbo people in the diaspora.
Lastly, Chizitere Nneka (born 1978) is a Nigerian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who has gained recognition for her efforts in promoting education and economic empowerment for women and girls in Africa through her non-profit organization, the Nneka Foundation.
People
Chizitere + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chizitere 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
Chizitere: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chizitere?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 23 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chizitere 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 14,902,363 US residents.
Is Chizitere a common name?
We classify Chizitere as "Very Rare". It ranks above 42.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chizitere most popular?
The single biggest year for Chizitere was 2013, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chizitere 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 Chizitere in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chizitere a female name?
Yes, 78.3% of people registered as Chizitere 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 Chizitere still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chizitere 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 Chizitere 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 named Chizitere?
Find out how many people share the name Chizitere on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.