Tawna
A feminine name of obscure origin, possibly meaning "crown" or "princess".
Name Census estimates that about 780 living Americans carry the first name Tawna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tawna today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tawna births was 1963 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tawna. 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
780
~ 1 in 439,429 Americans
Peak year
1963
34 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
2003 SSA rank
#15,595
Tracked since 1948
Census
Tawna in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 822 people with the first name Tawna, which placed it at #14,360 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
#14,360
National first-name rank
People counted
822
822 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
81.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tawna
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tawna is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Black (5.2%). 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 Tawna 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 Tawna at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 666
- Two or more races5.7% · 47
- Black or African American5.2% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 10
Popularity
Tawna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tawna from the 1940s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 269 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tawna 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 Tawna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tawnas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Idaho, Utah recorded the most babies named Tawna, while Texas, Ohio, Utah recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tawna
The given name Tawna has its origins in the Native American languages of the Southeastern United States. It is believed to be derived from the Choctaw word "tana," which means "bear." The name first gained popularity among Native American tribes in the region, particularly the Choctaw and Cherokee nations.
In the early 19th century, as interactions between Native Americans and European settlers increased, the name Tawna began to spread beyond its original cultural context. It was adopted by some European settlers, who were likely drawn to its unique sound and connection to the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tawna appears in the historical records of the Cherokee Nation, where it is mentioned as the name of a young woman born in the early 1800s. Unfortunately, specific details about her life and legacy have been lost to history.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Tawna remained relatively uncommon outside of Native American communities. However, a few notable individuals bore this name during this time period.
Tawna Littlehawk (1845-1921) was a renowned Cherokee basket weaver and artist, renowned for her intricate and beautiful designs. Her work was highly sought after by collectors and helped preserve the traditional Cherokee art form.
Tawna Redfeather (1870-1953) was a Choctaw activist and educator who worked tirelessly to promote the rights and education of Native American children. She established several schools and advocated for the preservation of Native American languages and cultures.
In the mid-20th century, the name Tawna experienced a resurgence in popularity, likely due to a growing interest in Native American culture and a desire for unique and meaningful names.
Tawna Paxton (1921-2005) was an American actress and model who appeared in several films and television shows during the 1940s and 1950s. She was known for her striking beauty and often portrayed Native American characters on screen.
Tawna Littleturtle (1935-2018) was a prominent Kiowa artist and potter, renowned for her intricate and vibrant pottery designs. Her work was exhibited in museums across the United States and helped to preserve and promote the traditional art forms of her tribe.
While the name Tawna remains relatively uncommon in modern times, it continues to be used by individuals who appreciate its rich cultural heritage and connection to the natural world.
People
Tawna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tawna 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
Tawna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tawna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 780 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tawna 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 439,429 US residents.
Is Tawna a common name?
We classify Tawna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 889 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tawna most popular?
The single biggest year for Tawna was 1963, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tawna is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tawna in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 822 people with the name Tawna, or 0.27 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,360 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 Tawna 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 Tawna?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tawna appears almost entirely female. Of the 824 people counted with this name, 99.6% 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 Tawna?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tawna is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Black (5.2%). 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 Tawna most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Tawna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (666 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 Tawna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tawna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tawna 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 Tawna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tawna 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 Tawna 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 Tawna?
You can see how many Americans are named Tawna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.