Imona
A feminine name derived from the Japanese word meaning "child of the blessing".
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the first name Imona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Imona today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Imona births was 2019 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Imona. 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
157
~ 1 in 2,183,149 Americans
Peak year
2019
37 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,718
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Imona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Imona from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 95 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Imona 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 Imona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Imonas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Imona
The name Imona is believed to have originated from the Igbo language spoken in southeastern Nigeria. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century when the Igbo people were a dominant cultural group in the region. Imona is derived from the Igbo word "imo," meaning "knowledge" or "wisdom," and the suffix "na," which often denotes possession or belonging.
One of the earliest records of the name Imona can be found in the "Nri Kingdom Chronicles," a collection of oral histories and traditions of the Nri people, who are considered the ancestral founders of the Igbo civilization. The chronicles mention an Imona, a renowned scholar and advisor to the Eze Nri (King of Nri) in the late 15th century, who was revered for her wisdom and knowledge of traditional customs.
In the 16th century, the name Imona gained prominence among the Igbo people, and it was often given to daughters who were expected to carry on the family's intellectual and cultural traditions. During this period, an Imona Okafor, born in 1523, was a respected herbalist and healer in the Onitsha region, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies.
As the Igbo people spread across West Africa, the name Imona also traveled with them. In the 18th century, Imona Nwankwo, born in 1712, was a renowned storyteller and oral historian from the Arochukwu Kingdom, whose tales and narratives helped preserve the cultural heritage of her people.
In the 19th century, the name Imona gained recognition outside the Igbo community. Imona Ekwunife, born in 1845, was a prominent trader and entrepreneur who established successful trading routes between the Igbo heartland and the coastal regions, contributing to the economic growth of the region.
Another notable figure was Imona Nwapa, born in 1931, a pioneering Nigerian author and one of the first African women novelists to gain international recognition. Her works, such as "Efuru" and "Idu," explored the complexities of Igbo culture and the experiences of women in traditional society, cementing her place as a significant literary figure in Nigeria and beyond.
Throughout its history, the name Imona has been a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and cultural preservation among the Igbo people, reflecting their deep respect for intellectual pursuits and the transmission of traditional values from one generation to the next.
People
Imona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Imona 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
Imona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Imona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 157 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Imona 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 2,183,149 US residents.
Is Imona a common name?
We classify Imona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 158 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Imona most popular?
The single biggest year for Imona was 2019, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Imona is about 6 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 Imona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Imona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Imona 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 Imona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Imona 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 Imona 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 common is the name Imona?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.