Olatokunbo
A Yoruba name meaning "somebody's wealth brought from across the ocean".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Olatokunbo. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Olatokunbo today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Olatokunbo births was 1983 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Olatokunbo. 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 Olatokunbo with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Olatokunbo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1983
5 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1985 SSA rank
#11,929
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Olatokunbo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Olatokunbo 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 Olatokunbo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Olatokunbo
The name Olatokunbo originates from the Yoruba language spoken in southwestern Nigeria and neighboring parts of Benin and Togo. It is a compound word formed by combining the elements "Ola" which means "wealth" or "riches", and "Tokunbo" which translates to "from across the seas" or "foreign-born".
The Yoruba people have a long and rich cultural heritage dating back several centuries, and their naming traditions often reflect their values, beliefs, and aspirations. In the case of Olatokunbo, the name may have been bestowed upon children born to parents who had traveled abroad or had connections with foreign lands, representing a wish for the child to enjoy prosperity and success in their endeavors.
While the exact origin of the name is uncertain, it is believed to have been in use among the Yoruba people for several centuries. Some historical accounts suggest that the name may have gained popularity during the era of transatlantic trade and cultural exchange between West Africa and the Americas, when the movement of people and goods across the seas became more prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Olatokunbo can be found in the writings of the renowned Yoruba scholar and author, Samuel Ajayi Crowther, who lived from 1809 to 1891. Crowther, who was born in Oyo (now in present-day Oyo State, Nigeria), played a significant role in promoting Yoruba language and culture, and his works provide valuable insights into the naming traditions of his time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Olatokunbo. One such individual was Olatokunbo Awolowo (1909-1992), a Nigerian author, politician, and statesman who served as the Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria from 1954 to 1959. He was a prominent figure in the struggle for Nigerian independence and played a pivotal role in shaping the country's political landscape.
Another notable figure was Olatokunbo Ogunbanjo (1917-1990), a Nigerian lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from 1979 to 1985. He was widely respected for his integrity and commitment to upholding the rule of law.
In the realm of literature, Olatokunbo Aluko (1932-2018) was a Nigerian writer and academic who gained recognition for his novels and short stories that explored various aspects of Nigerian society and culture. His works, such as "One Man, One Wife" and "His Worshipful Majesty," have been widely acclaimed and studied.
The name Olatokunbo has also been borne by individuals in other fields, such as Olatokunbo Salami (born 1959), a Nigerian-British judge who currently serves as a Lord Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, and Olatokunbo Adedeji (born 1954), a Nigerian-American chemist and academic who has made significant contributions to the field of computational chemistry.
While the name Olatokunbo may have originated in the Yoruba culture, its meaning and significance have transcended cultural boundaries, becoming a symbol of prosperity, success, and international connections for those who bear it.
People
Olatokunbo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Olatokunbo 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
Olatokunbo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Olatokunbo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Olatokunbo 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Olatokunbo a common name?
We classify Olatokunbo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Olatokunbo most popular?
The single biggest year for Olatokunbo was 1983, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Olatokunbo is about 42 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 Olatokunbo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Olatokunbo a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Olatokunbo 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 Olatokunbo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Olatokunbo 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 Olatokunbo 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 common is the name Olatokunbo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.