Olasunkanmi
A Yoruba name meaning "wealth acquired through perseverance brings honor".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Olasunkanmi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Olasunkanmi today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olasunkanmi births was 2012 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olasunkanmi. 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 Olasunkanmi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2012
5 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#13,674
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Olasunkanmi: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi
The name Olasunkanmi originates from the Yoruba language spoken in southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 14th century, when the Yoruba kingdoms were flourishing in what is now modern-day Nigeria.
Olasunkanmi is a combination of several Yoruba words – "Ola" meaning wealth or fortune, "sun" meaning to wake up or rise, "kan" meaning to acquire or obtain, and "mi" meaning I or me. The full meaning of the name is often interpreted as "I have acquired wealth by waking up early" or "Fortune has smiled upon me for rising early."
In traditional Yoruba culture, diligence and hard work were deeply valued traits, and this name was likely bestowed upon children as a wish for them to embody these virtues and find success through their efforts. The name reflects the importance placed on industriousness and the belief that prosperity comes to those who are willing to put in the necessary work.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olasunkanmi can be traced back to the late 16th century, when it was mentioned in a historical account of the Oyo Empire, one of the prominent Yoruba kingdoms. The name was borne by a notable warrior and advisor to the Alaafin (king) of Oyo during that period.
Throughout history, several prominent figures have carried the name Olasunkanmi. One notable example is Olasunkanmi Fafunwa (1923-2020), a renowned Nigerian educator and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of education in Africa. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and played a crucial role in shaping educational policies and practices in Nigeria.
Another historical figure with the name Olasunkanmi is Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi (1911-1993), a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi Foundation, which provided scholarships and educational opportunities for underprivileged students in Nigeria.
In the realm of sports, Olasunkanmi Adeniyi (born 1976) is a former Nigerian professional football player who represented his country in international competitions and played for various clubs in Europe and Africa.
Another notable bearer of the name is Olasunkanmi Akinlotan (born 1968), a Nigerian-American engineer and entrepreneur. He founded and served as the CEO of UrbanCred, a technology company focused on providing financial services to underserved communities.
Olasunkanmi Osinbajo (born 1957) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who currently serves as the Vice President of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
People
Olasunkanmi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olasunkanmi 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
Olasunkanmi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olasunkanmi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi a common name?
We classify Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi most popular?
The single biggest year for Olasunkanmi was 2012, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olasunkanmi is about 14 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 Olasunkanmi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olasunkanmi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi 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 Olasunkanmi?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.