Jacoya
A feminine name of Aztec origin meaning "who comes from water".
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the first name Jacoya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jacoya today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jacoya births was 1994 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jacoya. 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
128
~ 1 in 2,677,768 Americans
Peak year
1994
19 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2010 SSA rank
#18,069
Tracked since 1983
Census
Jacoya in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 143 people with the first name Jacoya, which placed it at #46,519 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#46,519
National first-name rank
People counted
143
143 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
91.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jacoya
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jacoya is Black at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Jacoya described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Jacoya at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.6% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 6
- Two or more races2.1% · 3
- White1.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Popularity
Jacoya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jacoya from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 85 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jacoya 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 Jacoya 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 Jacoya
Jacoya is a name with an intriguing history that can be traced back to the indigenous Nahuatl language of Mexico. It is derived from the Nahuatl word "xochitl," which means "flower," and the suffix "-ya," which is a diminutive form used to indicate affection or endearment. Together, the name Jacoya can be interpreted as "little flower" or "beloved flower."
The Nahuatl language was spoken by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican civilizations, and it played a significant role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of ancient Mexico. The name Jacoya likely originated during the pre-Columbian era, when Nahuatl was widely spoken across various regions of what is now modern-day Mexico.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Jacoya in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Nahuatl roots suggest a deep connection to the rich cultural heritage of the region. The association with flowers and the use of diminutive suffixes were common practices in Nahuatl naming traditions, reflecting the reverence for nature and the importance of familial bonds.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Jacoya can be found in colonial-era records from Mexico. In the 16th century, a woman named Jacoya was listed as a member of a prominent indigenous family in the region of Oaxaca. Unfortunately, little is known about her life or contributions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Jacoya. In the late 19th century, Jacoya García (1864-1942) was a renowned Mexican painter and illustrator known for her vibrant depictions of traditional Mexican life and culture. Her works captured the essence of her indigenous roots and helped preserve the artistic heritage of her people.
Another noteworthy figure was Jacoya Merino (1898-1972), a Mexican activist and labor leader who fought for the rights of workers and indigenous communities. She played a crucial role in organizing strikes and advocating for better working conditions, becoming a symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice.
In the realm of literature, Jacoya Villalobos (1922-2005) was a celebrated Mexican novelist and poet. Her works explored themes of identity, social injustice, and the complexities of human relationships. She received numerous accolades for her contributions to Mexican literature and her ability to shed light on the experiences of marginalized communities.
Finally, Jacoya Robles (1946-2018) was a prominent Mexican anthropologist and scholar who dedicated her life to the study and preservation of indigenous cultures. Her extensive research and publications on the Nahua people and their traditions helped to deepen our understanding of the rich cultural tapestry of Mexico.
These individuals, spanning different eras and fields, have all contributed to the cultural and historical significance of the name Jacoya, carrying forward its essence and celebrating its deep-rooted connection to the indigenous heritage of Mexico.
People
Jacoya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jacoya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jacoya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jacoya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 128 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jacoya 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 2,677,768 US residents.
Is Jacoya a common name?
We classify Jacoya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 132 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jacoya most popular?
The single biggest year for Jacoya was 1994, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jacoya is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Jacoya in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 143 people with the name Jacoya, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #46,519 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Jacoya in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jacoya?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Jacoya leans strongly female. 145 people counted with this name were female (98.6%), compared with 2 male bearers (1.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jacoya?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jacoya is Black at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Jacoya most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Jacoya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (131 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Jacoya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jacoya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jacoya 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 Jacoya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jacoya 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 Jacoya 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.
How many people are named Jacoya?
Want to know how many people share the name Jacoya? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.