Takeyah
Derived from Arabic origins, a feminine name meaning "pure" or "innocent."
Name Census estimates that about 184 living Americans carry the first name Takeyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Takeyah today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takeyah births was 1992 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takeyah. 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
184
~ 1 in 1,862,795 Americans
Peak year
1992
23 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2011 SSA rank
#19,290
Tracked since 1990
Census
Takeyah in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 174 people with the first name Takeyah, which placed it at #41,801 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#41,801
National first-name rank
People counted
174
174 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
94.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Takeyah
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Takeyah is Black at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Takeyah described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Takeyah at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.8% · 165
- Two or more races2.9% · 5
- White1.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Popularity
Takeyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takeyah from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 143 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takeyah 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 Takeyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Takeyah
The name Takeyah is a unique and intriguing moniker that has its roots in the rich cultural tapestry of the Yoruba people of West Africa. The Yoruba are an ethnic group primarily found in modern-day Nigeria and parts of neighboring countries like Benin and Togo.
In the Yoruba language, the name Takeyah is believed to be derived from the word "take," which means "to live" or "to exist." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been imbued with a symbolic meaning related to life, existence, or perhaps even longevity.
While the exact origins of the name are shrouded in the mists of time, it is possible that Takeyah was used in ancient Yoruba communities as a name bestowed upon newborns as a way of celebrating and embracing the miracle of life. The Yoruba people have a rich oral tradition and a deep reverence for their cultural heritage, which may have preserved the name Takeyah through generations.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Takeyah. One of the earliest recorded instances dates back to the 16th century, with Takeyah Aderinokun, a renowned Yoruba warrior and strategist who played a pivotal role in the defense of the Oyo Empire against neighboring kingdoms.
Another notable figure was Takeyah Ajayi, a 19th-century Yoruba trader and entrepreneur who established a thriving business empire in what is now known as Lagos, Nigeria. Her story serves as an inspiration for women's empowerment and economic independence.
In the realm of literature, Takeyah Osuntokun was a prominent Yoruba poet and playwright of the 20th century, whose works celebrated the richness of Yoruba culture and language. Her contributions helped to preserve and promote the Yoruba literary tradition.
Moving into the modern era, Takeyah Parx is a contemporary American singer and songwriter who has gained recognition for her soulful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics. Her music often explores themes of self-discovery and empowerment, resonating with audiences worldwide.
Finally, Takeyah Oulare is a Beninese activist and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to promoting education and empowering young women in her home country. Her efforts have earned her numerous accolades and recognition for her commitment to social change.
While these are just a few examples, the name Takeyah has undoubtedly touched the lives of many individuals throughout history, each leaving their unique mark on the world in their own way. As a name rooted in the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, Takeyah serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy and resilience of this vibrant community.
People
Takeyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takeyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Takeyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takeyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 184 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takeyah 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 1,862,795 US residents.
Is Takeyah a common name?
We classify Takeyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 189 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takeyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Takeyah was 1992, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takeyah is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Takeyah in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 174 people with the name Takeyah, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #41,801 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Takeyah in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Takeyah?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Takeyah appears almost entirely female. Of the 167 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Takeyah?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Takeyah is Black at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Takeyah most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Takeyah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (165 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Takeyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Takeyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takeyah 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 Takeyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Takeyah 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 Takeyah 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.
How many people are called Takeyah?
Find out how many people share the name Takeyah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.