Latonya
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a French place name.
Name Census estimates that about 19,746 living Americans carry the first name Latonya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Latonya today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Latonya births was 1974 (1,296 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Latonya. 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
- • Although Latonya is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 67 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1970s, recent registration numbers for Latonya have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
20K
~ 1 in 17,358 Americans
Peak year
1974
1,296 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1989 SSA rank
#7,513
Tracked since 1951
Gender
Gender distribution for Latonya
Out of the 21,824 babies given the name Latonya since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Latonya as a male name
- Ranked #7,513 in 1989
- 6 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1971 (9 births)
Latonya as a female name
- Ranked #16,641 in 2022
- 5 female births in 2022
- Peak: 1974 (1,290 births)
Popularity
Latonya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Latonya from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 10,955 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
Latonya 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 Latonya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Latonyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 34 states and territories. Illinois, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Latonya, while West Virginia, New Mexico, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 594 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Latonya
The name Latonya is of modern American origin, likely a variation of the French name Latonia. It emerged in the late 20th century, particularly among African American communities.
While the exact origin of Latonya is uncertain, it is believed to be a combination of the French feminine name Latonia and the English suffix "-ya" or "-nia." Latonia itself is derived from the Latin word "Latonia," which refers to the Roman goddess Diana, the goddess of the moon and hunting.
There are no known historical references to the name Latonya in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, the name Latonia has been recorded in various historical documents, particularly in France and other European countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Latonya dates back to the late 1960s. Some notable individuals named Latonya throughout history include:
1. Latonya Beldini (born 1977), an American dancer and choreographer.
2. Latonya Holmes (born 1976), an American basketball player who played in the WNBA.
3. Latonya Stevenson (born 1972), an American educator and nonprofit leader.
4. Latonya Young (born 1981), an American professional boxer and former world champion.
5. Latonya Williams (born 1979), an American track and field athlete who competed in the Olympic Games.
While the name Latonya gained popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly among African American communities in the United States, its origins can be traced back to the French and Latin roots of Latonia, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped modern American naming practices.
People
Latonya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Latonya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Latonya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Latonya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19,746 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Latonya 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 17,358 US residents.
Is Latonya a common name?
We classify Latonya as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21,824 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Latonya most popular?
The single biggest year for Latonya was 1974, when 1,296 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Latonya is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Latonya a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Latonya 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.