Panayiota
A feminine Greek name meaning "all-holy" or "all-revered".
Name Census estimates that about 109 living Americans carry the first name Panayiota. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Panayiota today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Panayiota births was 2001 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Panayiota. 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
109
~ 1 in 3,144,535 Americans
Peak year
2001
10 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#17,029
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Panayiota: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Panayiota from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 32 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Panayiota 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 Panayiota during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Panayiotas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Panayiota
Panayiota is a Greek feminine given name derived from the Greek word "panagia" meaning "all-holy" or "most holy." It is believed to have originated in the Byzantine Empire, where it was a popular name among Christian Orthodox communities.
The name Panayiota has its roots in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition, with a strong connection to the Virgin Mary, who is revered as the "Most Holy One" in the Orthodox faith. The name was likely bestowed upon girls as a way to honor and express devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Historically, the name Panayiota can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various Byzantine texts and manuscripts. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the hagiography (a biography of a saint) of Saint Panayiota of Nicomedia, a 3rd-century Christian martyr.
Throughout the centuries, several notable women have borne the name Panayiota. One of the most famous was Panayiota Ypsilanti (1857-1944), a Greek noblewoman and humanitarian who played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.
Another notable Panayiota was Panayiota Tsaldari (1887-1976), a Greek educator and feminist who worked tirelessly to improve women's access to education and promote gender equality in Greece.
In the realm of literature, Panayiota Dimitropoulou (1906-1992) was a prominent Greek writer and poet, known for her contributions to the modernist movement in Greek literature.
The name Panayiota has also found its way into the world of sports. Panayiota Kalogeropoulou (born 1966) is a former Greek Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.
Another notable figure was Panayiota Tzavella (1892-1976), a Greek actress and theater director who played a significant role in the development of modern Greek theater in the early 20th century.
While the name Panayiota has deep roots in Greek Orthodox Christian tradition, it has been embraced by people of various backgrounds and cultures throughout history, reflecting the enduring appeal and significance of this beautiful name.
People
Panayiota + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Panayiota 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
Panayiota: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Panayiota?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 109 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Panayiota 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 3,144,535 US residents.
Is Panayiota a common name?
We classify Panayiota as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Panayiota most popular?
The single biggest year for Panayiota was 2001, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Panayiota is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Panayiota a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Panayiota 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.