Ija
A feminine name of African origin meaning "beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Ija. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ija today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ija births was 2004 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ija. 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 Ija. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
2004
6 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2011 SSA rank
#17,806
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Ija: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ija from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Ija remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ija 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 Ija 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 Ija
The given name Ija has its origins tracing back to the ancient Sanskrit language of India, with roots dating back to around the 1st millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "ija", meaning "honor" or "reverence". The name was initially popular in regions where Sanskrit was widely spoken, such as the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ija can be found in the Mahabharata, a renowned ancient Indian epic poem. In this text, Ija is mentioned as the name of a sage who imparted wisdom and knowledge to disciples. This reference suggests that the name held significance and was associated with erudition and spiritual guidance in ancient Indian culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ija. One of the earliest was Ija Vidyadhara (c. 6th century CE), an influential Buddhist scholar and teacher from India. His writings and teachings were instrumental in the spread of Buddhism across Southeast Asia.
Another prominent figure was Ija Nahuatl (1450-1520), a renowned Aztec poet and philosopher from present-day Mexico. His works, which explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition, were highly regarded during the Aztec era.
In the realm of literature, Ija Kalapurnama (1820-1875) was a celebrated Bengali poet and writer from British India. Her poetry, which often explored themes of love, devotion, and social commentary, earned her widespread acclaim and a lasting legacy in the literary circles of her time.
Moving to more recent times, Ija Basilio (1925-1994) was a prominent Filipino artist known for her vibrant and expressive paintings. Her works, which often depicted scenes from everyday life and celebrated the richness of Filipino culture, have been widely exhibited and are part of numerous prestigious collections.
Lastly, Ija Vuren (1970-present) is a contemporary Dutch author and journalist who has gained recognition for her thought-provoking novels and essays. Her writing often explores themes of identity, social issues, and the complexities of human relationships, resonating with readers around the world.
People
Ija + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ija as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ija: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ija?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ija 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Ija a common name?
We classify Ija as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ija most popular?
The single biggest year for Ija was 2004, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ija is about 20 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 Ija in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ija a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ija 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 Ija still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ija 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 Ija 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 Ija?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.