Johnita
A feminine name derived from the masculine name John, of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 450 living Americans carry the first name Johnita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Johnita today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Johnita births was 1965 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Johnita. 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
450
~ 1 in 761,676 Americans
Peak year
1965
21 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2000 SSA rank
#16,166
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Johnita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Johnita from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 137 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Johnita 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 Johnita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Johnitas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Johnita
The name Johnita has its roots in the English language, and it is a feminine form of the name John, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God" or "Yahweh is gracious." The addition of the "ita" suffix at the end of the name is a common practice in many cultures to create a feminine form of a masculine name.
While the exact origin of the name Johnita is not well documented, it is believed to have emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century as a variant of the more common name Johanna or Joanna, which is also a feminine form of John. The name Johnita may have been used as a way to distinguish it from these more prevalent names and to give it a unique and distinct identity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Johnita is found in the United States Census records from the early 20th century. However, it remained a relatively uncommon name during that time period, and there are few notable historical figures who bore the name Johnita.
Despite its relative obscurity, there are a handful of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Johnita. One such person is Johnita Gordine, an American politician who served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1987 to 1992. Another is Johnita Woodrich, an American actress and model who appeared in several films and television shows in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the world of literature, there is Johnita Rodgers, an African American writer and poet who published several collections of poetry, including "Tone Peapers" in 1978 and "Heat Seekers" in 1999. Additionally, Johnita Mizelle is a renowned gospel singer and songwriter who has released several albums and has been recognized for her contributions to contemporary Christian music.
One of the most notable individuals with the name Johnita is Johnita Due, a former professional basketball player from the United States who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for the Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
While the name Johnita may not be as prevalent as some other more common names, it has its own unique history and has been borne by a diverse range of individuals across various fields and professions throughout the years.
People
Johnita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Johnita 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
Johnita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Johnita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 450 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Johnita 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 761,676 US residents.
Is Johnita a common name?
We classify Johnita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 576 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Johnita most popular?
The single biggest year for Johnita was 1965, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Johnita is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Johnita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Johnita 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.
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.