Folami
A Yoruba name meaning "I honor the Lord's wealth".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Folami. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Folami today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Folami births was 1978 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Folami. 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 Folami. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1978
5 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1979 SSA rank
#10,693
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Folami: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Folami 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 Folami during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Folami
The name Folami originates from the Yoruba language and culture of West Africa, primarily present-day Nigeria. It is a compound name derived from the Yoruba words "Ola" meaning wealth or honor, and "mi" meaning I have or possess. Thus, the name Folami can be interpreted to mean "I possess wealth" or "I have honor."
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back several centuries, and the name Folami has been in use among them for a significant period. It is believed to have been given to children as a way of expressing the parents' hope for their offspring to live a prosperous and honorable life.
While there are no known ancient texts or religious scriptures that specifically mention the name Folami, it is likely that the name has been in use since the early days of the Yoruba civilization. The earliest recorded examples of the name are difficult to pinpoint due to the scarcity of written records from that era.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Folami was Folami Coker, a prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1875 to 1940. He was a successful trader and played a significant role in the economic development of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.
Another notable figure with the name Folami was Folami Olumide, a Nigerian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. He was born in 1947 and was actively involved in the advocacy for human rights and good governance in Nigeria.
In the realm of literature, Folami Alakija is a Nigerian author and poet who has published several works, including the poetry collection "Naked Verses" in 2006. She was born in 1966 and is renowned for her poetic explorations of love, identity, and cultural heritage.
Another notable figure is Folami Olokun, a Nigerian artist and sculptor who was born in 1942. Her works often depict traditional Yoruba themes and have been exhibited internationally, earning her recognition as one of Nigeria's most celebrated contemporary artists.
Folami Oyelude, born in 1955, is a Nigerian academic and educator who has served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, one of Nigeria's premier institutions of higher learning. He has made significant contributions to the field of plant pathology and has been recognized for his leadership in the academic community.
It is important to note that while these are some of the more prominent individuals who have borne the name Folami throughout history, the name has been and continues to be used by many others within the Yoruba community and beyond.
People
Folami + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Folami as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Folami: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Folami?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Folami 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Folami a common name?
We classify Folami as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Folami most popular?
The single biggest year for Folami was 1978, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Folami is about 49 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 Folami in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Folami a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Folami 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 Folami still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Folami 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 Folami 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 share the name Folami?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.