Onedia
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Latin, potentially meaning "solitary".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Onedia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Onedia today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Onedia births was 1925 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Onedia. 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
- • The typical person named Onedia is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Onedias were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Onedia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1925
10 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1956 SSA rank
#5,774
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Onedia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Onedia from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 66 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Onedia 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 Onedia 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 Onedia
The name Onedia is believed to have its origins in ancient Greece, where it was a feminine variation of the name Onesimos, which means "beneficial" or "useful" in Greek. The name was likely used during the classical period of ancient Greek civilization, which spanned from the 5th to the 4th century BCE.
Onedia is derived from the Greek root words "onesis" meaning "benefit" and "theos" meaning "god." This suggests that the name may have been associated with the idea of divine blessing or favor. However, there are no definitive historical records that provide a clear explanation for the name's meaning or its earliest use.
The name Onedia does not appear to have any direct references in ancient Greek texts or religious scriptures. However, it is possible that the name was used among the general population during the classical period, as many Greek names were derived from words related to virtues, occupations, or natural elements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Onedia can be found in the records of the Byzantine Empire, where a woman named Onedia is mentioned as a member of the imperial court during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century CE. Beyond this reference, there are few notable historical figures with the name Onedia until more recent times.
In the 18th century, Onedia Rossi (1720-1790) was an Italian painter known for her portraits and religious works. She was a member of the Accademia di San Luca, a prestigious art academy in Rome.
Another notable figure was Onedia Auriemma (1853-1920), an Italian author and poet who wrote several works in her native Neapolitan dialect. Her collection of poems, titled "Cunti 'e Munacielle," was published in 1885.
In the 20th century, Onedia Caldwell (1904-1992) was an American activist and educator who worked to promote civil rights and educational opportunities for African Americans in the southern United States.
More recently, Onedia Smith (1932-2018) was a Canadian artist and printmaker known for her vibrant and colorful depictions of Inuit life and culture. Her works are held in various museum collections across Canada.
Despite its ancient Greek origins, the name Onedia has remained relatively uncommon throughout history. Its rarity may be due to the obscurity of its meaning and the lack of prominent historical figures bearing the name.
People
Onedia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Onedia 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
Onedia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Onedia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Onedia 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Onedia a common name?
We classify Onedia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 163 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Onedia most popular?
The single biggest year for Onedia was 1925, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Onedia is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Onedia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Onedia 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.
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.