Quwanna
An uncommon name of uncertain origin, possibly a feminine form of the Arabic name Qawwam.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Quwanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Quwanna today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quwanna births was 1981 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quwanna. 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 Quwanna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1981
6 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1981 SSA rank
#10,023
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Quwanna: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Quwanna 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 Quwanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Quwanna
The name Quwanna has its origins in the ancient Akkadian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the third millennium BC. It is derived from the Akkadian word "quwannu," meaning "high-ranking official" or "leader." The name likely came into use during the Akkadian Empire, which was one of the earliest and most influential civilizations in the region.
In ancient Mesopotamian texts, the name Quwanna is mentioned several times in reference to various officials and administrators who served under the Akkadian kings. One notable example is Quwanna-Inshushinak, a high-ranking official who lived during the reign of King Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of Ur, around 2100 BC.
As the Akkadian language and culture spread throughout the ancient Near East, the name Quwanna likely traveled with it, gaining popularity in neighboring regions. In later centuries, it appeared in various forms and spellings in different languages and cultures, such as Quwanna, Quanna, and Quanah.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Quwanna was Quwanna-Bel, a Babylonian official who lived during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II in the sixth century BC. Another notable figure was Quwanna-Rassam, an Assyrian diplomat and archaeologist who lived in the 19th century AD and made significant contributions to the excavation of ancient Mesopotamian sites.
In more recent history, the name Quwanna has been borne by several notable individuals, including Quwanna Burton, an American artist and educator born in 1941, and Quwanna Bantamoi, a Thai singer and actress born in 1986.
Additionally, the name Quwanna has appeared in various literary and artistic works, reflecting its enduring cultural significance. For example, the novel "Quwanna's Song" by Yvonne Watterson, published in 2003, explores the experiences of a young woman with this name in the modern world.
While the name Quwanna may not be as commonly used today as it was in ancient times, it continues to carry a rich historical and cultural legacy, serving as a reminder of the enduring influence of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations on our modern world.
People
Quwanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quwanna 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
Quwanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quwanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quwanna 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 Quwanna a common name?
We classify Quwanna 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 Quwanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Quwanna was 1981, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quwanna is about 42 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 Quwanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Quwanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quwanna 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 Quwanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Quwanna 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 Quwanna 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 people share the name Quwanna?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Quwanna, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.