Onaje
A masculine African name meaning "he who soars like an eagle".
Name Census estimates that about 105 living Americans carry the first name Onaje. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Onaje today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Onaje births was 1992 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Onaje. 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.
People living today
105
~ 1 in 3,264,327 Americans
Peak year
1992
9 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,603
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Onaje: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Onaje from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 50 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Onaje 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 Onaje during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Onaje
The name Onaje originates from the Yoruba language spoken in West Africa, particularly in present-day Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century during the height of the Oyo Empire. The name is believed to be derived from the Yoruba words "ona" meaning "path" or "way" and "ije" meaning "to go" or "to walk." The combination suggests a meaning related to a journey or finding one's way in life.
In ancient Yoruba culture, names held significant importance and were often chosen to reflect the circumstances surrounding a child's birth or to bestow specific attributes and aspirations upon the individual. The name Onaje may have been given to children born during times of travel or migration, symbolizing the journey their family embarked upon.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Onaje can be found in the 16th century Yoruba oral tradition, where it appears in a folktale about a young boy who embarked on a spiritual quest to find his purpose. This folktale is believed to have been passed down through generations, reflecting the cultural significance of the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Onaje:
1. Onaje Parnell (1953-present), an American jazz pianist and composer known for his fusion of traditional jazz with elements of funk and R&B.
2. Onaje X.O. Woodbine (1942-2022), an American author, activist, and religious leader who advocated for the empowerment of African Americans.
3. Onaje Maris (1937-1998), a Trinidadian-born American jazz drummer and percussionist who performed with notable artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Yusef Lateef.
4. Onaje Gumbs (1949-present), an American artist and sculptor known for her mixed media works exploring themes of identity, culture, and spirituality.
5. Onaje Ezekwenna (1962-present), a Nigerian academic and environmental activist who has championed sustainable development initiatives in West Africa.
While the name Onaje has its roots in the Yoruba culture, it has gained recognition and resonance across various communities, with individuals from diverse backgrounds embracing its symbolic meaning and cultural significance.
People
Onaje + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Onaje 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
Onaje: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Onaje?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 105 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Onaje 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 3,264,327 US residents.
Is Onaje a common name?
We classify Onaje as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 109 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Onaje most popular?
The single biggest year for Onaje was 1992, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Onaje is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Onaje a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Onaje 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.
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.