Lawana
A name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from French meaning "a flower".
Name Census estimates that about 1,941 living Americans carry the first name Lawana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lawana today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lawana births was 1971 (87 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lawana. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 176,586 Americans
Peak year
1971
87 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
2000 SSA rank
#16,468
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Lawana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lawana from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 653 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
Lawana 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 Lawana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lawanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Texas, California, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Lawana, while Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 70 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lawana
The name Lawana is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit language of ancient India, originating sometime around the 5th century BCE. It is thought to be derived from the word "lavan," which means "salt" or "salty." This connection to salt may have been symbolic, as salt was a highly valued and precious commodity in ancient times.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lawana can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic poem that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this text, Lawana is mentioned as the name of a river, suggesting that the name may have had a geographic or natural association in its early usage.
During the Gupta Empire, which ruled over much of northern India from the 3rd to the 6th century CE, the name Lawana gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes. It is believed that some members of the royal family or high-ranking officials bore this name, though specific historical records are scarce.
In the 11th century, a notable figure named Lawana Bhatta was a renowned scholar and philosopher from the region of present-day Rajasthan in India. He is credited with writing several influential treatises on logic, linguistics, and religious philosophy, which were widely studied and debated during his time.
Another historical figure bearing the name Lawana was a Sanskrit poet and playwright who lived in the 12th century CE. While little is known about her personal life, her works, such as the play "Lawanavilasa," were highly regarded and celebrated for their literary merit and artistic expression.
In the 16th century, a Rajput warrior named Lawana Singh gained recognition for his bravery and military prowess during the battles against the Mughal Empire. He is said to have led his troops with great courage and strategic acumen, earning him a place in the annals of Rajput history.
While the name Lawana has its roots in ancient India, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions over the centuries. However, its earliest origins and most prominent historical figures can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where the name has a rich and diverse cultural heritage.
People
Lawana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lawana 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
Lawana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lawana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,941 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lawana 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 176,586 US residents.
Is Lawana a common name?
We classify Lawana as "Rare". It ranks above 93.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,028 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lawana most popular?
The single biggest year for Lawana was 1971, when 87 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lawana is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lawana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lawana 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.