Eboni
Derived from ebony, referring to the dark wood or color.
Name Census estimates that about 6,215 living Americans carry the first name Eboni. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eboni today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eboni births was 1982 (282 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eboni. 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
6.2K
~ 1 in 55,150 Americans
Peak year
1982
282 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
1980 SSA rank
#6,540
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Eboni
Out of the 6,526 babies given the name Eboni since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Eboni as a male name
- Ranked #6,540 in 1980
- 5 male births in 1980
- Peak: 1980 (5 births)
Eboni as a female name
- Ranked #15,956 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1982 (282 births)
Popularity
Eboni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eboni from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 2,404 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eboni 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 Eboni during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ebonis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 28 states and territories. Texas, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Eboni, while Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 178 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eboni
The name Eboni is a modern invention, derived from the word "ebony," which refers to a dense black wood. The name gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in the United States, as a way to celebrate African-American heritage and culture.
While the word "ebony" has its roots in ancient languages, the name Eboni itself does not have a long historical tradition. It was likely coined in the latter half of the 20th century as a unique and meaningful name for African-American children.
One of the earliest documented uses of the name Eboni can be found in the 1974 film "Claudine," where it was given to a character played by actress Trazana Beverley. This helped to introduce the name to a wider audience and may have contributed to its subsequent popularity.
Eboni Nichole Franklin, born in 1983, is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for teams such as the Sacramento Monarchs and the Seattle Storm. She was a standout player at the University of California, Berkeley, and her career as a professional athlete helped to bring visibility to the name.
Eboni K. Williams, born in 1983, is an American attorney and television host. She gained national recognition as a co-host on the Fox News program "The Specialists" and later joined the CBS News team as a host on multiple shows, including "CBS News Streaming Network."
Eboni J. Townsend, born in 1985, is an American actress and model known for her roles in films such as "Precious" and "Seven Pounds." She has also appeared in various television shows and music videos, showcasing her versatility as a performer.
Eboni Marshall Turman, born in 1985, is an American scholar and author. She is an Assistant Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has written extensively on race, gender, and social justice issues.
Eboni Nichols, born in 1993, is a former NCAA basketball player who played for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. She was a key contributor to the team's success and helped them reach the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2015.
The name Eboni gained popularity in the late 20th century as a celebration of African-American identity and heritage. While it does not have a long historical tradition, it has been embraced by many notable individuals who have helped to bring recognition and visibility to the name.
People
Eboni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eboni as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eboni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eboni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,215 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eboni 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 55,150 US residents.
Is Eboni a common name?
We classify Eboni as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,526 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eboni most popular?
The single biggest year for Eboni was 1982, when 282 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eboni is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eboni a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Eboni 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.