Dwana
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "golden brown" or "dark-haired".
Name Census estimates that about 833 living Americans carry the first name Dwana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dwana today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dwana births was 1964 (82 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dwana. 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
833
~ 1 in 411,470 Americans
Peak year
1964
82 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2002 SSA rank
#16,172
Tracked since 1943
Popularity
Dwana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dwana from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 330 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dwana 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 Dwana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dwanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Louisiana, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Dwana, while California, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dwana
The name Dwana is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit language of ancient India. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "dwana," which means "sound" or "resonance." The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the Vedic period, around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE, when it was likely used as a descriptor or title for skilled musicians or singers.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Upanishads and the Puranas, there are references to deities and sages with names similar to Dwana, suggesting the name's spiritual and philosophical significance. One such reference is found in the Rig Veda, where the word "dwana" is used to describe the resonance of sacred chants and mantras.
The first recorded individual with the name Dwana was a celebrated musician and composer who lived in the 7th century CE during the Gupta Empire in India. Known for his mastery of the ancient Indian veena, a plucked string instrument, he was highly regarded for his contributions to the development of Indian classical music.
Another notable figure in history with the name Dwana was a Sufi mystic and poet who lived in the 12th century CE in present-day Iran. His spiritual verses and teachings on the divine resonance of music and poetry have been widely studied and revered by Sufi practitioners over the centuries.
In the 16th century, there was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and linguist named Dwana who hailed from the city of Varanasi in northern India. His commentaries on ancient Sanskrit texts and his work in preserving the language's grammar and syntax were highly influential during the Renaissance period.
During the Mughal Empire in the 17th century, a prominent architect and engineer named Dwana was responsible for designing and constructing several iconic buildings and monuments, including the famous Red Fort in Delhi. His innovative architectural techniques and intricate designs have left a lasting legacy in Indian architecture.
In more recent times, a celebrated Indian classical dancer named Dwana, who lived in the early 20th century, was widely acclaimed for her mastery of the Bharatanatyam dance form. Her graceful performances and contributions to preserving the ancient dance tradition have inspired generations of dancers and artists.
People
Dwana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dwana 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
Dwana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dwana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 833 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dwana 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 411,470 US residents.
Is Dwana a common name?
We classify Dwana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 988 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dwana most popular?
The single biggest year for Dwana was 1964, when 82 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dwana is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dwana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dwana 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.
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.