Iokua
A Hawaiian name meaning "born after another child has died".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Iokua. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Iokua today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iokua births was 2022 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iokua. 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 Iokua. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2022
7 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2022 SSA rank
#10,209
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Iokua: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iokua 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 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
Iokua 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 Iokua 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 Iokua
The name Iokua is believed to have originated from the Hawaiian language and culture, with roots dating back to the early Polynesian settlers of the Hawaiian Islands in the 4th century AD. The name itself is derived from the Hawaiian words "io," meaning supreme or divine, and "kua," meaning back or support, suggesting a meaning of "divine support" or "supreme protector."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Iokua can be found in the ancient Hawaiian chants and oral traditions, where it was often used to refer to powerful chiefs or spiritual leaders. It is said that Iokua was the name of a revered high chief who ruled over the island of Maui in the 15th century, renowned for his wisdom, courage, and unwavering leadership during times of conflict and strife.
In the 16th century, an influential Hawaiian kahuna (priest) named Iokua was renowned for his vast knowledge of traditional healing practices and his ability to commune with the spiritual realm. His teachings and insights were widely sought after, and he is credited with preserving many of the ancient Hawaiian customs and rituals that have survived to this day.
Another notable figure bearing the name Iokua was a skilled navigator and explorer who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his daring voyages across the Pacific Ocean, using traditional Polynesian navigation techniques to discover and chart new islands and territories. His exploits and navigational prowess were celebrated in traditional Hawaiian songs and chants, solidifying his place in Hawaiian history.
During the 19th century, a prominent Hawaiian scholar and linguist named Iokua played a crucial role in documenting and preserving the Hawaiian language and oral traditions. His work in transcribing and translating ancient Hawaiian texts and legends helped to safeguard this rich cultural heritage for future generations.
In more recent times, Iokua has been used as a given name for individuals of Hawaiian descent, serving as a testament to the enduring cultural significance and reverence for this name within the Hawaiian community.
People
Iokua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iokua 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
Iokua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iokua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iokua 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Iokua a common name?
We classify Iokua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iokua most popular?
The single biggest year for Iokua was 2022, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iokua 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 Iokua in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iokua a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iokua in the SSA data are male. 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 Iokua still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iokua 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 Iokua 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 called Iokua?
You can see how many Americans are named Iokua on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.