Tevita
A Polynesian masculine name meaning "crown".
Name Census estimates that about 835 living Americans carry the first name Tevita. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tevita today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tevita births was 2016 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tevita. 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
835
~ 1 in 410,484 Americans
Peak year
2016
31 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,018
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Tevita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tevita from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 233 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Tevita remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tevita 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 Tevita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tevitas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Utah, Hawaii recorded the most babies named Tevita, while Hawaii, Utah, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 163 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tevita
Tevita is a Tongan name derived from the Biblical name David, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name Dawid, meaning "beloved". The name likely arrived in Tonga with the introduction of Christianity in the late 18th century by European missionaries.
In Tonga, the name Tevita is a popular male name, often given to honor the Biblical King David of Israel, who is regarded as a significant figure in both Judaism and Christianity. The name has been in use among the Tongan people for several centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Tevita can be found in the writings of early Christian missionaries who visited Tonga in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These missionaries often documented the names of their converts and the local people they encountered.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Tevita. One of the most famous was Tevita Tupou, a Tongan chief and military leader who played a significant role in the unification of Tonga in the 19th century. He lived from 1797 to 1859.
Another prominent figure was Tevita Anaua, a Tongan politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in 1857 and died in 1923.
In the realm of sports, Tevita Tuilovoni was a Tongan rugby union player who represented Tonga in the late 20th century. He played as a prop and was part of the Tongan national team that competed in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Tevita Momoedonu was a Tongan politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the early 20th century. He served as a noble representative and was born in 1874, passing away in 1953.
Tevita Vakalahi was a Tongan academic and educator who made significant contributions to the field of education in Tonga in the late 20th century. He was born in 1935 and played a crucial role in shaping the country's educational system during his lifetime.
People
Tevita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tevita 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
Tevita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tevita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 835 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tevita 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 410,484 US residents.
Is Tevita a common name?
We classify Tevita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 850 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tevita most popular?
The single biggest year for Tevita was 2016, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tevita is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tevita a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tevita 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.
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.