Ojay
A modern invented name intended to express individuality and uniqueness.
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Ojay. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ojay today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ojay births was 1976 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ojay. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ojay with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ojay. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1976
7 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1978 SSA rank
#6,494
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Ojay: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ojay 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 Ojay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19 | 0 | 19 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ojay
The given name Ojay has its origins in the Yoruba language, spoken in parts of West Africa, particularly in present-day Nigeria. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "Ojo," meaning "day" or "sun." It is believed to have emerged during the pre-colonial era, when the Yoruba people had a rich cultural heritage and a deep reverence for the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ojay can be found in the ancient Ifa literary corpus, a collection of oral traditions and divination texts of the Yoruba people. In these texts, Ojay is mentioned as a name given to children born during auspicious times or under favorable celestial alignments, reflecting the significance of the day or sun in Yoruba cosmology.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ojay. One such figure was Ojay Akintan (c. 1750-1820), a renowned Yoruba sculptor and woodcarver who lived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His intricate works, depicting deities and spiritual figures, are celebrated for their intricate details and cultural significance.
Another notable bearer of the name was Ojay Ogunde (1914-1990), a pioneering Nigerian playwright, actor, and musician. He was instrumental in the development of the Yoruba traveling theatre tradition and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Nigerian theatre.
In the realm of music, Ojay Kehinde (1948-2008) was a prominent Nigerian drummer and percussionist. He was known for his mastery of traditional Yoruba drumming styles and his collaborations with various international musicians, helping to introduce Yoruba rhythms to a global audience.
The name Ojay also found its way into the literary world with Ojay Obafemi (born 1947), a Nigerian poet, playwright, and scholar. His works often explore themes of identity, culture, and socio-political issues, contributing significantly to the body of African literature.
Another notable figure was Ojay Abiola (1937-1998), a Nigerian businessman and politician who played a pivotal role in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria during the 1990s. His name became synonymous with the fight for civil liberties and political reform in the country.
While the name Ojay has its roots in the Yoruba culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and gained recognition in various parts of the world, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Yoruba people.
People
Ojay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ojay as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ojay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ojay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ojay 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Ojay a common name?
We classify Ojay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ojay most popular?
The single biggest year for Ojay was 1976, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ojay is about 48 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 Ojay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ojay a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ojay 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 Ojay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ojay 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 Ojay 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 Ojay?
Find out how many Americans are named Ojay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.