Sefa
A Turkish name meaning pure, sincere, and compassionate.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Sefa. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sefa today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sefa births was 2017 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sefa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Sefa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sefa. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2017
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,909
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Sefa: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sefa 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 Sefa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Sefa
The name Sefa has its origins in the Akan language, spoken by the Akan people of West Africa, primarily in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The name can be traced back to the late 15th century, around the time when the Akan people established the powerful Ashanti Empire.
Sefa is derived from the Akan word "sɛ," which means "to give birth" or "to bear children." It is a name that celebrates the joy and importance of childbirth and fertility in Akan culture. The name is often given to children born after a period of difficulty in conceiving or after the loss of a previous child.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sefa can be found in the Akan oral tradition, where it is mentioned in folktales and proverbs that emphasize the value of children and the strength of mothers. The name also appears in ancient Akan genealogical records, suggesting its widespread use among the Akan people for centuries.
Throughout history, several notable figures have born the name Sefa. One of the earliest was Sefa Kojo, a prominent Akan chief who ruled over the town of Aburi in the late 17th century. He was known for his wisdom and diplomacy in resolving conflicts between neighboring tribes.
In the 19th century, Sefa Osei was a renowned Akan linguist and scholar who contributed greatly to the preservation and documentation of the Akan language and culture. His work helped to establish Akan as a written language and paved the way for its inclusion in educational curricula.
Another notable figure was Sefa Boakye, a skilled Akan goldsmith who lived in the early 20th century. His intricate and beautiful jewelry designs were highly sought after and helped to establish the reputation of Akan goldsmiths throughout West Africa.
In more recent times, Sefa Amoafo was a celebrated Ghanaian writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories in the latter half of the 20th century. Her works often explored themes of identity, tradition, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Lastly, Sefa Adjesu was a pioneering Ghanaian educator who founded one of the first schools in Ghana to teach in the Akan language. His efforts to promote education in the local language and preserve Akan cultural heritage have had a lasting impact on the Akan people.
People
Sefa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sefa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sefa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sefa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sefa 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Sefa a common name?
We classify Sefa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sefa most popular?
The single biggest year for Sefa was 2017, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sefa is about 9 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 Sefa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sefa a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sefa in the SSA data are male. 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 Sefa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sefa 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 Sefa 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 are called Sefa?
You can see how many Americans are named Sefa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.