Iyanuoluwa
A Yoruba name meaning "God's portion is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the first name Iyanuoluwa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 71.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Iyanuoluwa today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iyanuoluwa births was 2018 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iyanuoluwa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Iyanuoluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
132
~ 1 in 2,596,624 Americans
Peak year
2018
18 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,435
Tracked since 2009
Gender
Gender distribution for Iyanuoluwa
Iyanuoluwa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 133 total registrations, 38 (28.6%) were male and 95 (71.4%) were female.
Iyanuoluwa as a male name
- Ranked #11,435 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (7 births)
Iyanuoluwa as a female name
- Ranked #14,124 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (12 births)
Popularity
Iyanuoluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iyanuoluwa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Iyanuoluwa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iyanuoluwa 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 Iyanuoluwa 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 Iyanuoluwa
The name Iyanuoluwa originates from the Yoruba language of West Africa, predominantly spoken in Nigeria. It is a compound name derived from the combination of two Yoruba words: "Iyan" meaning "wealth" or "riches," and "Oluwa" meaning "God" or "the Lord."
The earliest known use of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in the region that is now modern-day southwestern Nigeria. During this period, the Yoruba people were influential in trade and cultural exchange, and the name likely gained popularity as a symbol of prosperity and reverence for divine blessings.
In the 18th century, the name Iyanuoluwa appeared in several historical records and texts related to the Oyo Empire, one of the most powerful Yoruba kingdoms of the time. Some accounts suggest that the name was favored among nobility and royal families, reflecting their aspirations for wealth and divine favor.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Iyanuoluwa was an Oyo warrior and military commander who lived in the late 18th century. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic acumen in battles against rival kingdoms, earning him a place in the oral traditions and folklore of the Yoruba people.
Another individual of significance was Iyanuoluwa Akinsanya, a prominent trader and merchant from the city of Ibadan in the 19th century. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes and fostering economic relationships between the Yoruba people and other West African communities.
In the 20th century, Iyanuoluwa Ogunlesi, a Nigerian educator and advocate for women's rights, made significant contributions to the advancement of education and social reform in her country. She founded several schools and organizations dedicated to empowering women and promoting gender equality.
Iyanuoluwa has also been the name of several notable artists and cultural figures, including Iyanuoluwa Akinmoyero, a renowned Yoruba poet and playwright from the mid-20th century, whose works explored themes of tradition, identity, and the complexities of modern African society.
Throughout its history, the name Iyanuoluwa has carried a strong cultural and spiritual significance, reflecting the Yoruba people's values of prosperity, divine blessings, and the pursuit of knowledge and artistic expression.
People
Iyanuoluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iyanuoluwa 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
Iyanuoluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iyanuoluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 132 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iyanuoluwa 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 2,596,624 US residents.
Is Iyanuoluwa a common name?
We classify Iyanuoluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 133 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iyanuoluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Iyanuoluwa was 2018, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iyanuoluwa is about 8 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 Iyanuoluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iyanuoluwa a female name?
Yes, 71.4% of people registered as Iyanuoluwa 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 Iyanuoluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iyanuoluwa 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 Iyanuoluwa 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 Iyanuoluwa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.