Jioni
A feminine name of Swahili origin meaning "afternoon".
Name Census estimates that about 26 living Americans carry the first name Jioni. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 57.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Jioni today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jioni births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jioni. 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 Jioni. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
26
~ 1 in 13,182,859 Americans
Peak year
2024
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,541
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Jioni
Jioni is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 26 total registrations, 11 (42.3%) were male and 15 (57.7%) were female.
Jioni as a male name
- Ranked #11,541 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (6 births)
Jioni as a female name
- Ranked #16,369 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2020 (5 births)
Popularity
Jioni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jioni 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 21 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
Jioni 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 Jioni 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 Jioni
The name Jioni finds its origins in the Swahili language, spoken primarily in East Africa. It is believed to have derived from the Swahili word "jioni," which translates to "evening" or "evening time." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone born in the evening hours or perhaps carrying an auspicious meaning related to the evening.
The earliest known recorded use of the name Jioni dates back to the 17th century in coastal regions of present-day Kenya and Tanzania, where Swahili culture and language have deep roots. It is possible that the name was inspired by the serene and peaceful nature of the evening, or by the cultural significance of this time of day in traditional Swahili societies.
While the name does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Swahili origins suggest it may have been influenced by the region's rich cultural heritage, which has been shaped by various African, Arab, and Indian influences over the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Jioni was Jioni bin Salim, a Swahili trader and explorer from the island of Pate, who lived in the late 17th century. Another notable figure was Jioni wa Mwitu, a renowned Swahili poet and scholar from the 19th century, renowned for his contributions to Swahili literature.
In more recent history, Jioni Kafu was a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations in the mid-20th century. Jioni Omari, born in 1959, is a Kenyan politician and member of parliament, while Jioni Kisumo, born in 1972, is a respected Tanzanian artist known for his vibrant paintings depicting Swahili culture and traditions.
Jioni Mavuva, born in 1981, is a Kenyan activist and advocate for women's rights, who has been recognized for her efforts in promoting gender equality and empowering underprivileged communities.
People
Jioni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jioni 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
Jioni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jioni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 26 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jioni 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 13,182,859 US residents.
Is Jioni a common name?
We classify Jioni as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 26 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jioni most popular?
The single biggest year for Jioni was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jioni 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 Jioni in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jioni a female name?
Yes, 57.7% of people registered as Jioni 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 Jioni still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jioni 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 Jioni 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 common is the name Jioni?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Jioni at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.