Iyinoluwa
A Yoruba name meaning "my mother's journey is fruitful".
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Iyinoluwa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Iyinoluwa today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iyinoluwa births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iyinoluwa. 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 Iyinoluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Iyinoluwa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,039
Tracked since 2015
Gender
Gender distribution for Iyinoluwa
Iyinoluwa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 15 total registrations, 5 (33.3%) were male and 10 (66.7%) were female.
Iyinoluwa as a male name
- Ranked #13,039 in 2017
- 5 male births in 2017
- Peak: 2017 (5 births)
Iyinoluwa as a female name
- Ranked #16,268 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Popularity
Iyinoluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iyinoluwa from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Iyinoluwa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa
The given name Iyinoluwa originates from the Yoruba language, spoken primarily in southwestern Nigeria and neighboring regions of West Africa. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century or earlier, during the height of the Oyo Empire, one of the most influential Yoruba kingdoms.
Iyinoluwa is a compound name composed of three distinct Yoruba words: "Iyin," meaning "source" or "origin," "Olu," meaning "owner" or "lord," and "Wa," which translates to "come" or "arrive." When combined, the name carries the meaning "The source or origin from which the Lord comes" or "The origin of the Lord's arrival."
In Yoruba culture, names often hold deep spiritual and philosophical significance, reflecting the beliefs and traditions of the people. Iyinoluwa is believed to convey a profound reverence for a supreme deity or divine essence, acknowledging its primordial and eternal nature as the ultimate source of all existence.
Historical references to names with similar roots can be found in ancient Yoruba oral traditions and folklore, as well as in the writings of early Christian missionaries who documented Yoruba culture and language during the colonial era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Iyinoluwa was Iyinoluwa Akinsanya, a Yoruba prince and influential military leader in the late 17th century. He played a pivotal role in the expansion and consolidation of the Oyo Empire during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Iyinoluwa Akinjobi, a Yoruba scholar and linguist who lived in the early 19th century. He contributed significantly to the preservation and documentation of the Yoruba language and its oral traditions, serving as a valuable resource for later researchers and academics.
In the realm of literature, Iyinoluwa Soyinka, a renowned Yoruba poet and playwright, gained recognition in the mid-20th century for his works exploring themes of cultural identity, spirituality, and social commentary. He was born in 1934 and passed away in 2016.
Iyinoluwa Adebayo, a Yoruba artist and sculptor, gained international acclaim in the late 20th century for his intricate and symbolic works that drew inspiration from traditional Yoruba motifs and belief systems. He was born in 1947 and died in 2021.
Additionally, Iyinoluwa Oluwole, a Yoruba women's rights activist and educator, made significant contributions to the advancement of women's education and empowerment in Nigeria during the early 20th century. Her efforts paved the way for greater gender equality and opportunities for women in West Africa.
People
Iyinoluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iyinoluwa 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
Iyinoluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iyinoluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iyinoluwa 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 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Iyinoluwa a common name?
We classify Iyinoluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iyinoluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Iyinoluwa was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iyinoluwa a female name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa 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 Iyinoluwa?
Find out how many Americans are named Iyinoluwa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.