Konya
A feminine name of Turkish origin meaning "fertile land, farm".
Name Census estimates that about 61 living Americans carry the first name Konya. It is a predominantly female name (91.2% of registrations). The average person named Konya today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Konya births was 1970 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Konya. 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 Konya. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
61
~ 1 in 5,618,924 Americans
Peak year
1970
9 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
2004 SSA rank
#10,751
Tracked since 1962
Gender
Gender distribution for Konya
Konya leans heavily female at 91.2% of total registrations, but 6 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Konya as a male name
- Ranked #10,751 in 2004
- 6 male births in 2004
- Peak: 2004 (6 births)
Konya as a female name
- Ranked #11,230 in 1980
- 5 female births in 1980
- Peak: 1970 (9 births)
Popularity
Konya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Konya from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 40 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Konya 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 Konya 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 Konya
The name Konya has its origins in Turkey, specifically the city of Konya located in the Central Anatolia region. It is derived from the Greek name "Ikonion," which in turn comes from the ancient Greek word "eikon" meaning "image" or "likeness." The name is believed to be associated with the city's history as a center of iconography and religious art during the Byzantine era.
In ancient times, Konya was known as Iconium and was an important stop along the Silk Road trade route. The city is mentioned in various historical texts, including the New Testament's Book of Acts, which recounts the travels of the apostles Paul and Barnabas to the region. Konya is also referenced in the writings of early Christian scholars and historians, such as Eusebius of Caesarea.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Konya was Konya Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary who lived from 1813 to 1870. He played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British rule.
Another notable figure was Konya Mahmut Pasha (1653-1703), an Ottoman statesman and grand vizier who served during the reign of Sultan Mustafa II. He was known for his efforts to reform the Ottoman military and administrative systems.
In the realm of literature, Konya Mustafa Naima (1655-1716) was a prominent Ottoman historian and biographer. His work, "Naima Tarihi," is considered a seminal chronicle of the Ottoman Empire during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the field of music, Konya Abdülbâki Nâsır Dede (1765-1821) was a renowned Turkish classical composer and poet. He was a member of the prestigious Mevlevi Order and contributed significantly to the development of Turkish music.
Lastly, Konya Ziya Gökalp (1876-1924) was a Turkish sociologist, poet, and political thinker who played a crucial role in shaping the ideological foundations of the modern Turkish Republic. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of Turkish nationalism and was influenced by the Mevlevi Sufi tradition.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Konya, reflecting its rich cultural and historical significance, particularly in the context of Turkish and Ottoman history.
People
Konya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Konya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Konya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Konya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 61 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Konya 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 5,618,924 US residents.
Is Konya a common name?
We classify Konya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 68 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Konya most popular?
The single biggest year for Konya was 1970, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Konya is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Konya a female name?
Yes, 91.2% of people registered as Konya 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.