Oladeji
A masculine Yoruba name meaning "wealth crowns the children".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Oladeji. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oladeji today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oladeji births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oladeji. 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 Oladeji. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,582
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Oladeji: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Oladeji 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 Oladeji during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Oladeji
The name Oladeji originates from the Yoruba language spoken in southwestern Nigeria and neighboring regions. It is a compound name derived from the Yoruba words "Ola," meaning wealth or fortune, and "Deji," meaning to become a crown prince or heir to the throne. The name can be interpreted to mean "wealth or fortune crowns me" or "heir to the wealth."
The earliest recorded use of the name Oladeji dates back to the late 15th century during the height of the Oyo Empire, one of the most powerful Yoruba kingdoms in present-day Nigeria. It was a common practice among the Yoruba nobility to give their children names that reflected their aspirations or celebrated their cultural heritage.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Oladeji was Oladeji Ogunlola, a renowned warrior and military strategist who served under the Alaafin (king) of Oyo in the late 16th century. His exploits in defending the kingdom against rival states and expanding its territory earned him a place in the oral traditions of the Yoruba people.
In the 18th century, Oladeji Adeyemi, a prominent trader and diplomat, played a crucial role in establishing trade relations between the Oyo Empire and European merchants. His expertise in navigating the complex political and economic landscape of the time contributed to the prosperity of the Oyo kingdom.
During the 19th century, Oladeji Oluwole was a respected scholar and poet who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba literature and cultural traditions. His works, which included poems, proverbs, and historical narratives, provided valuable insights into the rich heritage of the Yoruba people.
In the early 20th century, Oladeji Faulkner, a Nigerian-British author and educator, gained recognition for his literary works that explored themes of identity, cultural conflicts, and the impact of colonialism on African societies. His novels and short stories offered a unique perspective on the experiences of Africans during the colonial era.
Throughout history, the name Oladeji has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including rulers, warriors, scholars, and artists. It has remained a popular name among the Yoruba people, reflecting their deep-rooted cultural traditions and the enduring significance of wealth, prosperity, and leadership within their society.
People
Oladeji + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oladeji 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
Oladeji: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oladeji?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oladeji 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Oladeji a common name?
We classify Oladeji as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oladeji most popular?
The single biggest year for Oladeji was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oladeji is about 7 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 Oladeji in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oladeji a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oladeji 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 Oladeji still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oladeji 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 Oladeji 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 called Oladeji?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.