Qwana
A feminine name of Zulu origin meaning "to conquer or overcome".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Qwana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Qwana today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Qwana births was 1978 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Qwana. 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 Qwana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1978
6 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1978 SSA rank
#9,402
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Qwana: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Qwana 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 Qwana 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 Qwana
The given name Qwana is believed to have its origins in the Bantu languages spoken across various regions of central and southern Africa. It is thought to be derived from the root word "qwana," which means "little one" or "small child" in several Bantu dialects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Qwana can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was mentioned in a Portuguese missionary's account of his travels through the Kingdom of Kongo. The missionary noted that the name was commonly bestowed upon newborn children in certain communities within the kingdom.
In the 19th century, the name Qwana gained prominence among the Xhosa people of South Africa. It was often given to children born during times of hardship or famine, as the name was believed to symbolize the resilience and strength of the small child who had managed to thrive in difficult circumstances.
One notable individual who bore the name Qwana was a Xhosa chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was renowned for his leadership and diplomacy in navigating the complex relationships between various Xhosa clans and the encroaching colonial powers of the time.
Another historical figure named Qwana was a female healer and midwife from the Basotho people of present-day Lesotho. She lived in the early 19th century and was highly respected for her vast knowledge of traditional medicine and her ability to assist in childbirth.
In the early 20th century, a Zulu woman named Qwana became a prominent figure in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. She was actively involved in organizing protests and advocating for the rights of her people, despite facing numerous arrests and instances of persecution.
The name Qwana has also been recorded in other parts of Africa, such as among the Bakongo people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Luba people of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In these regions, the name was often associated with concepts of growth, nurturing, and the preservation of cultural traditions.
Throughout its history, the name Qwana has carried a variety of meanings and associations, ranging from its humble origins as a term for a small child to its representation of resilience, strength, and cultural identity in various African communities.
People
Qwana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Qwana 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
Qwana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Qwana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Qwana 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 Qwana a common name?
We classify Qwana 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 Qwana most popular?
The single biggest year for Qwana was 1978, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Qwana is about 44 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 Qwana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Qwana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Qwana 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 Qwana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Qwana 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 Qwana 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 Qwana?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.