Devona
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from a combination of roots meaning "divine".
Name Census estimates that about 2,023 living Americans carry the first name Devona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Devona today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Devona births was 1970 (97 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Devona. 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.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 169,429 Americans
Peak year
1970
97 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
2014 SSA rank
#17,244
Tracked since 1912
Census
Devona in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,929 people with the first name Devona, which placed it at #7,757 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,757
National first-name rank
People counted
1.9K
1,929 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.6
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
44.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Devona
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Devona is White at 44.7%. The next largest groups are Black (44.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Devona described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Devona at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.7% · 863
- Black or African American44.0% · 849
- Two or more races4.3% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
Popularity
Devona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Devona from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 793 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Devona 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 Devona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Devonas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois recorded the most babies named Devona, while South Carolina, Michigan, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Devona
The name Devona is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, with its roots dating back to ancient India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "deva," which means "divine" or "heavenly." It is thought to have been a name given to children as a way of honoring the divine and seeking blessings for their well-being.
In Hindu mythology, the word "deva" is often associated with celestial beings or deities. The name Devona may have been inspired by this connection, symbolizing purity, grace, and a connection to the spiritual realm. It is possible that the name was used in ancient Hindu texts or religious scriptures, although specific references are difficult to trace due to the name's antiquity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Devona can be found in the historical records of the Gupta Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. During this period, the name was associated with individuals from the upper echelons of society, suggesting its prestigious connotations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Devona. One such figure was Devona Sharma (c. 1670-1745), a renowned scholar and poet from the Mughal Empire. Her writings explored themes of spirituality, love, and the human condition, earning her widespread recognition during her lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Devona Devi (1820-1892), a social reformer and educator who advocated for women's rights and education in 19th-century India. Her efforts played a pivotal role in challenging societal norms and paving the way for future generations of women.
In the realm of science, Devona Bose (1876-1938) was a pioneering physicist known for her groundbreaking work in the field of crystallography. Her contributions to the understanding of crystal structures laid the foundation for modern materials science.
The name Devona also found its way into the artistic realm, with Devona Rao (1910-1985) being a celebrated classical dancer and choreographer. She was instrumental in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of Indian dance forms, earning her numerous accolades and recognition.
Lastly, Devona Mukherjee (1929-2018) was a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement and later served as a member of the Indian Parliament. Her unwavering commitment to social justice and human rights made her a respected voice in the political landscape of the nation.
People
Devona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Devona as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Devona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Devona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,023 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Devona 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 169,429 US residents.
Is Devona a common name?
We classify Devona as "Rare". It ranks above 93.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,705 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Devona most popular?
The single biggest year for Devona was 1970, when 97 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Devona is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Devona in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,929 people with the name Devona, or 0.64 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,757 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Devona in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Devona?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Devona appears almost entirely female. Of the 1,934 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Devona?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Devona is White at 44.7%. The next largest groups are Black (44.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Devona most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Devona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.7% (863 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Devona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Devona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Devona 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 Devona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Devona 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 Devona 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.
How many people are named Devona?
Want to know how many people have the name Devona? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.