Qiona
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Greek or Irish roots.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Qiona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Qiona today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Qiona births was 1979 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Qiona. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Qiona. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1979
6 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1979 SSA rank
#9,851
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Qiona: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Qiona 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 Qiona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Qiona
The name Qiona is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian word "qiona," which means "precious stone" or "gem." This suggests that the name was initially given to children who were considered as precious and valuable as rare gems.
In the earliest known records from the Sumerian civilization, the name Qiona appears to have been relatively uncommon, likely reserved for members of the upper classes or nobility. However, there are references to a high priestess named Qiona in a cuneiform inscription dating back to around 2500 BCE. This inscription describes her as a revered figure in the religious and cultural life of the Sumerian city-state of Uruk.
As the Sumerian language and culture spread throughout the ancient Near East, the name Qiona also gained some popularity in neighboring regions. One notable figure from this period was Qiona of Babylon, a skilled artisan who lived around 1800 BCE and was renowned for her intricate metalwork and jewelry creations.
During the height of the Babylonian Empire, around 600 BCE, the name Qiona appears to have experienced a resurgence in popularity. This can be attributed, in part, to the influence of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who was often associated with precious stones and gems. In this period, there are records of a Babylonian queen named Qiona who was known for her beauty and wisdom.
As civilizations and cultures evolved, the name Qiona continued to be used, albeit in various spellings and forms. In the 5th century CE, there was a Christian saint named Qiona who lived in the Middle East and was renowned for her charitable works and devotion to her faith.
Throughout history, several other notable figures have borne the name Qiona. These include Qiona al-Razi, a renowned Persian philosopher and scholar who lived in the 9th century CE, and Qiona de Chambord, a French noblewoman and patron of the arts during the Renaissance period in the 16th century.
People
Qiona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Qiona as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Qiona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Qiona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Qiona 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Qiona a common name?
We classify Qiona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Qiona most popular?
The single biggest year for Qiona was 1979, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Qiona is about 43 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 Qiona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Qiona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Qiona 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 Qiona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Qiona 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 Qiona 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 many Americans are named Qiona?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.