Menua
A feminine name deriving from the Tahitian language meaning "Island".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Menua. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Menua today is around 2 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Menua births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Menua. 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 Menua. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2024
6 babies that year
Average age
2
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,827
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Menua: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Menua 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 Menua during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Geography
Where Menuas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Menua
The name Menua is a Polynesian name that originated in the Tuamotu Archipelago, a group of islands located in French Polynesia. It is believed to have its roots in the Proto-Polynesian language, which was spoken by the ancestors of the Polynesians before they dispersed across the Pacific Ocean.
The name Menua is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "nu'u," which means "village" or "community." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who played a significant role in the village or community life, or perhaps to those who were born in a particular village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Menua can be found in the oral traditions and chants of the Tuamotu Islanders. These chants, which were passed down through generations, often mentioned individuals with the name Menua, indicating its significance in the culture.
Menua Tama'i (c. 1650-1720) was a famous navigator and explorer from the island of Anaa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. He is renowned for his voyages across the Pacific, where he is said to have discovered and settled several islands in what is now known as the Cook Islands.
Another notable figure with the name Menua was Menua Turi (c. 1780-1850), a chief and warrior from the island of Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. He was known for his leadership skills and his involvement in various conflicts between neighboring islands.
In the 19th century, Menua Tama'i II (c. 1820-1890) was a prominent chief on the island of Fakarava in the Tuamotu Archipelago. He played a significant role in the island's affairs and was respected for his wisdom and diplomacy.
Menua Nui (c. 1870-1940) was a highly regarded navigator and seafarer from the island of Anaa. He was known for his extensive knowledge of traditional navigation techniques and his ability to read the stars and ocean currents.
Menua Rere (c. 1900-1980) was a renowned artist and woodcarver from the island of Rangiroa. His intricate carvings, depicting scenes from Polynesian mythology and daily life, were highly sought after and are now considered important cultural treasures.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the name Menua throughout history, highlighting its significance and the rich cultural heritage associated with it in the Polynesian islands.
People
Menua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Menua as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Menua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Menua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Menua 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Menua a common name?
We classify Menua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Menua most popular?
The single biggest year for Menua was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Menua is about 2 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 Menua in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Menua a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Menua in the SSA data are male. 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 Menua still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Menua 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 Menua 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 people are named Menua?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.