Panagiota
A Greek feminine name derived from Panagia, meaning "All Holy".
Name Census estimates that about 519 living Americans carry the first name Panagiota. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Panagiota today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Panagiota births was 1976 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Panagiota. 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
519
~ 1 in 660,413 Americans
Peak year
1976
27 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,998
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Panagiota: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Panagiota from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 190 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Panagiota 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 Panagiota during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Panagiotas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Illinois, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Panagiota, while Massachusetts, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 48 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Panagiota
The given name Panagiota has its origins in the Greek language and culture, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Byzantine period. It is a feminine name derived from the Greek word "Panagia," which translates to "All-Holy" and is a title bestowed upon the Virgin Mary in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition.
The name is closely associated with the veneration of the Virgin Mary, and it is believed to have been first used as a name for girls born on religious feast days dedicated to her. In Greek Orthodox tradition, the Virgin Mary holds a significant place as the Mother of God, and names honoring her have been popular for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Panagiota can be found in the hagiographies (biographies of saints) from the 9th century AD. These accounts mention a pious woman named Panagiota who lived in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and was known for her devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Throughout the Byzantine and Medieval periods, the name Panagiota was primarily used within Greek-speaking Christian communities in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Greece, Cyprus, and parts of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).
Notable historical figures who bore the name Panagiota include:
1. Panagiota Vlachou (1789-1864), a Greek philanthropist and benefactor who contributed significantly to the education of women in Athens during the early 19th century.
2. Panagiota Kontoleon (1910-2003), a Greek resistance fighter who played a crucial role in the Greek Resistance movement against the Axis occupation during World War II.
3. Panagiota Dimitrakopoulou (1906-1999), a Greek architect and one of the first female architects in Greece, known for her contributions to modern Greek architecture.
4. Panagiota Petroulaki (1940-2018), a Greek artist and sculptor, recognized for her works in marble and bronze, which explored themes of mythology and the human form.
5. Panagiota Tzanavara (1939-2020), a Greek actress renowned for her performances in both theater and film, who was honored with numerous awards throughout her career.
While the name Panagiota has maintained its popularity within Greek communities worldwide, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world, particularly among Eastern Orthodox Christian populations. The name's connection to the Virgin Mary and its rich cultural and religious heritage have contributed to its enduring appeal across generations.
People
Panagiota + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Panagiota as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Panagiota: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Panagiota?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 519 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Panagiota 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 660,413 US residents.
Is Panagiota a common name?
We classify Panagiota as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 560 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Panagiota most popular?
The single biggest year for Panagiota was 1976, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Panagiota is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Panagiota a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Panagiota 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.