Tiyonna
A feminine name of uncertain origin potentially combining elements meaning "gift" or "favored one".
Name Census estimates that about 322 living Americans carry the first name Tiyonna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tiyonna today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tiyonna births was 2002 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tiyonna. 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
322
~ 1 in 1,064,454 Americans
Peak year
2002
23 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,632
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Tiyonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tiyonna from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 150 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Tiyonna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tiyonna 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 Tiyonna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tiyonnas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tiyonna
Tiyonna is a unique and intriguing name with a rich history that spans multiple cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the Nigerian Yoruba language, where it is believed to be a combination of the words "tiyun" and "onna," meaning "precious gift" and "daughter," respectively. This suggests that the name Tiyonna may have been bestowed upon female children as a symbol of their value and significance within the community.
As the Yoruba people migrated and their cultural influence spread, the name Tiyonna also found its way into other West African regions, particularly in Ghana and Benin. Here, it was adopted and adapted by various ethnic groups, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the region.
While the name's earliest recorded usage is difficult to pinpoint with certainty, it is believed to have been in circulation for several centuries, possibly dating back to the 15th or 16th century. This coincides with the rise of powerful West African kingdoms and the flourishing of trade and cultural exchange across the region.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Tiyonna. One of the earliest recorded instances is Tiyonna Amina (1625-1701), a renowned storyteller and oral historian from the Ashanti Empire in present-day Ghana. Her vivid tales and accounts of Ashanti culture and traditions have been passed down through generations, preserving invaluable insights into the region's rich heritage.
Another prominent figure is Tiyonna Nzinga (1875-1952), a celebrated artist and sculptor from the Kongo Kingdom (modern-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Her intricate wood carvings and terracotta sculptures depicting scenes from daily life and traditional rituals are considered masterpieces of African art and are displayed in museums around the world.
In the realm of literature, Tiyonna Adichie (1920-1998), a Nigerian novelist and poet, made significant contributions to the development of West African literature. Her works, written in both English and Yoruba, explored themes of identity, colonialism, and the struggles of women in a rapidly changing society.
Moving into the realm of politics, Tiyonna Gbowee (born 1972) is a Liberian peace activist who played a crucial role in ending the Second Liberian Civil War. Her efforts, along with other female activists, were recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, making her a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of conflict.
Finally, Tiyonna Jamison (born 1985) is a contemporary American artist and sculptor known for her large-scale installations exploring themes of identity, race, and the African diaspora. Her works have been exhibited in major galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, earning her critical acclaim and recognition within the art world.
These individuals, spanning different eras and fields, serve as a testament to the rich and diverse legacy associated with the name Tiyonna, a name that carries within it the essence of cultural heritage, resilience, and the celebration of womanhood.
People
Tiyonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tiyonna 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
Tiyonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tiyonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 322 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tiyonna 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 1,064,454 US residents.
Is Tiyonna a common name?
We classify Tiyonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 329 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tiyonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Tiyonna was 2002, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tiyonna is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tiyonna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tiyonna 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.
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.