Jwana
A feminine Arabic name meaning "small pearl" or "precious jewel".
Name Census estimates that about 42 living Americans carry the first name Jwana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jwana today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jwana births was 2017 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jwana. 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 Jwana with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jwana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
42
~ 1 in 8,160,818 Americans
Peak year
2017
7 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,407
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Jwana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jwana from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 12 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
Jwana 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 Jwana 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 Jwana
The name Jwana has its origins in the Bantu languages spoken across central and southern Africa. It is believed to have originated from the Kikongo language, which is spoken in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo. The name is thought to be derived from the word "jwana," which means "one who is loved" or "beloved one."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jwana can be found in the historical records of the Kingdom of Kongo, a powerful medieval African kingdom located in what is now northern Angola and western Congo. The name appears in chronicles and oral traditions passed down through generations, though the exact dates are uncertain.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jwana Nzinga was a prominent ruler of the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms, which were located in present-day Angola. She was known for her military prowess and resistance against Portuguese colonial forces during the Angolan Resistance War of the 17th century.
Another historical figure named Jwana was a prominent chief of the Bakongo people in the 18th century. He was renowned for his diplomatic skills and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between the Kingdom of Kongo and neighboring kingdoms.
In the 19th century, a woman named Jwana Mbande gained recognition as a skilled trader and entrepreneur in the region of present-day Zambia. She was instrumental in establishing trade routes and fostering economic ties between various communities.
During the 20th century, a notable figure named Jwana Mukendi was a respected artist and sculptor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His works, which celebrated Bantu cultural traditions and mythology, gained international acclaim and are displayed in museums around the world.
While the name Jwana has its roots in central and southern Africa, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its earliest and most significant historical connections remain tied to the Bantu-speaking regions of Africa.
People
Jwana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jwana 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
Jwana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jwana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 42 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jwana 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 8,160,818 US residents.
Is Jwana a common name?
We classify Jwana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jwana most popular?
The single biggest year for Jwana was 2017, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jwana is about 28 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 Jwana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jwana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jwana 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 Jwana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jwana 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 Jwana 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 Americans are named Jwana?
See how many Americans are named Jwana on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.