Nyonna
A feminine name of African origin meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 143 living Americans carry the first name Nyonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nyonna today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyonna births was 2008 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyonna. 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
143
~ 1 in 2,396,883 Americans
Peak year
2008
14 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,068
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Nyonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyonna from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 65 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyonna 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 Nyonna 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 Nyonna
The given name Nyonna is believed to have its origins in the Swahili language spoken in parts of East Africa. It is thought to be derived from the Swahili word "nyonyo," which means "breast" or "to suckle." The name may have been given to girls in the hopes that they would grow up to be nurturing and caring mothers.
In ancient Swahili culture, breastfeeding and maternal care were highly valued and celebrated. The name Nyonna could be seen as a tribute to this cultural significance. However, there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or historical documents from that region.
The earliest known recorded use of the name Nyonna dates back to the late 19th century. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Nyonna Mwangi, a Kenyan woman born in 1872 who was known for her skilled basket weaving and her contributions to preserving traditional Swahili crafts.
Another notable figure with the name Nyonna was Nyonna Chikwanda, a Zambian activist born in 1928 who fought for women's rights and education in her country. She was influential in establishing several schools for girls and advocating for gender equality in education.
In the realm of literature, Nyonna Masango was a South African author born in 1937 who wrote extensively about the experiences of women in apartheid-era South Africa. Her works shed light on the struggles and resilience of black women during that time.
Nyonna Kadidi, born in 1955 in Tanzania, was a prominent singer and songwriter who helped popularize traditional Swahili music genres like taarab and ngoma. Her music often celebrated African culture and praised the strength and beauty of African women.
Lastly, Nyonna Makhubu, a South African businesswoman born in 1965, made significant contributions to the field of sustainable agriculture and empowering rural communities through her work with various non-profit organizations.
While the name Nyonna may not be as common today as it once was, these historical figures have left a lasting impact in their respective fields and serve as reminders of the rich cultural heritage associated with this unique and meaningful name.
People
Nyonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyonna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nyonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 143 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyonna 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 2,396,883 US residents.
Is Nyonna a common name?
We classify Nyonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyonna was 2008, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyonna is about 15 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 Nyonna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyonna 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 Nyonna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyonna 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 Nyonna 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 have Nyonna as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Nyonna, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.