Inia
Feminine form of a Portuguese name meaning "dolphin" or "porpoise".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Inia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Inia today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Inia births was 2005 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Inia. 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 Inia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2005
7 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2005 SSA rank
#13,544
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Inia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Inia from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 7 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
Inia 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 Inia 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 Inia
The given name Inia has its origins in the indigenous cultures of South America, specifically in the Amazon basin region. It is derived from the Tupi language, spoken by various tribes in Brazil and neighboring countries. The name is thought to be linked to the word "iña," which means "daughter" or "girl" in Tupi.
In the pre-Columbian era, the name Inia was likely used by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon rainforest. However, due to the scarcity of written records from that time, its earliest recorded instances are relatively recent. The name gained popularity in Brazil and other South American countries after European colonization and the adoption of Christian names.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Inia was Inia Boga, a Brazilian artist and painter from the 19th century. She was born in 1848 and is known for her portraiture and landscape paintings, which captured the vibrant colors and scenes of Brazilian culture.
Another notable figure was Inia Pereira, a Brazilian writer and poet who lived from 1892 to 1975. She was a prominent figure in the Brazilian literary scene and published several collections of poetry, including "Cantos da Amazônia" (Songs of the Amazon), which celebrated the natural beauty and indigenous cultures of the Amazon region.
In the early 20th century, Inia Mendes was a Brazilian activist and advocate for women's rights. Born in 1905, she fought tirelessly for gender equality, access to education, and the empowerment of women in Brazil. Her contributions helped pave the way for future generations of women's rights activists in the country.
Inia Souza, a Brazilian environmentalist and conservationist, was born in 1935. She dedicated her life to protecting the Amazon rainforest and raising awareness about the importance of preserving its biodiversity. Her work with local communities and international organizations helped promote sustainable practices and prevent deforestation in the region.
Finally, Inia Camara, a contemporary Brazilian artist and sculptor, was born in 1963. Her intricate and captivating works often explore themes of nature, indigenous cultures, and the human experience. Camara's sculptures have been exhibited in galleries and museums across South America and beyond, garnering international recognition for her unique artistic vision.
People
Inia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Inia 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
Inia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Inia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Inia 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Inia a common name?
We classify Inia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Inia most popular?
The single biggest year for Inia was 2005, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Inia is about 41 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 Inia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Inia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Inia 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 Inia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Inia 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 Inia 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 Inia?
Want to know how many Americans are named Inia? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.