Oladayo
A Yoruba name meaning "wealth comes to the home or birth of wealth".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Oladayo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oladayo today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oladayo births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oladayo. 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 Oladayo with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oladayo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,861
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Oladayo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Oladayo 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 Oladayo 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Oladayo
The name Oladayo has its roots in the Yoruba language of West Africa, specifically in Nigeria. It is a compound name formed by combining the Yoruba words "Ola" and "dayo," meaning "wealth" and "joy" or "sweetness," respectively. Together, Oladayo can be interpreted as "wealth brings joy" or "wealth is sweet."
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries, and their naming traditions often reflect important values, beliefs, and aspirations. Names like Oladayo are believed to carry blessings and good wishes for the child, reflecting the parents' hopes for their offspring's future.
While the exact origin of the name Oladayo is difficult to pinpoint, it is believed to have been in use among the Yoruba people for several centuries. Some historical records and oral traditions suggest that variations of the name may have been used even before the widespread adoption of Christianity and Islam in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oladayo can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a renowned Yoruba explorer, linguist, and the first African Anglican bishop. Born in 1809, Crowther played a pivotal role in documenting and preserving Yoruba language and culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Oladayo. One such figure is Oladayo Akinkugbe, a Nigerian physician and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nephrology. Born in 1933, Akinkugbe served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and played a crucial role in advancing medical education in Nigeria.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Oladayo Olusanya, a Nigerian footballer who represented his country in the 1980 African Cup of Nations. Born in 1956, Olusanya was a skilled striker and is remembered for his contributions to the Nigerian national team.
In the realm of arts and literature, Oladayo Terspala-Opaleye stands out as a notable figure. Born in 1955, Terspala-Opaleye is a Nigerian writer and playwright known for his works that explore various aspects of Yoruba culture and traditions.
Lastly, Oladayo Sanusi, born in 1969, is a respected Nigerian economist and banker. He has held several influential positions, including serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2014, where he implemented policies aimed at strengthening the country's financial sector.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Oladayo throughout history, each leaving their mark in diverse fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Yoruba culture and Nigerian society.
People
Oladayo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oladayo 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
Oladayo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oladayo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oladayo 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Oladayo a common name?
We classify Oladayo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oladayo most popular?
The single biggest year for Oladayo was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oladayo is about 3 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 Oladayo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oladayo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oladayo 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 Oladayo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oladayo 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 Oladayo 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 share the name Oladayo?
You can see how many people have the name Oladayo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.