Towana
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "companion" or "friend".
Name Census estimates that about 672 living Americans carry the first name Towana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Towana today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Towana births was 1971 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Towana. 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
672
~ 1 in 510,051 Americans
Peak year
1971
48 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1992 SSA rank
#15,455
Tracked since 1940
Popularity
Towana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Towana from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 307 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
Towana 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 Towana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Towanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the most babies named Towana, while Pennsylvania, North Carolina, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Towana
The name Towana originates from the Navajo language, spoken by the Navajo people, an indigenous nation in the Southwestern United States. It is believed to have derived from the Navajo word "tó," meaning water, and "waan," meaning warm or hot, suggesting a connection to natural thermal springs or warm water sources.
Towana has been a traditional Navajo name for centuries, with its earliest known usage traced back to the late 17th century. It was predominantly given to Navajo children born near or around significant water sources, such as rivers, lakes, or hot springs, which held great cultural and spiritual significance for the Navajo people.
In Navajo culture, names often reflected the environment, events, or characteristics surrounding a child's birth. Towana was likely bestowed upon children born near warm water sources or during times when water played a significant role in the community's life.
Historical records mention a prominent Navajo leader named Towana, who lived in the late 18th century and played a crucial role in negotiating peace treaties between the Navajo and Spanish settlers in the region. His influence and diplomacy helped maintain stability during a period of conflict.
Another notable figure was Towana Benton, a Navajo artist and potter who lived from 1925 to 2005. She was renowned for her intricate and traditional pottery designs, which were widely celebrated and exhibited in museums across the United States.
In the realm of literature, Towana Spivey is a celebrated Navajo author and storyteller born in 1944. Her works, including "Tsiyi: Deep in the Rock," preserve and share the rich oral traditions and legends of the Navajo people, contributing to the preservation of their cultural heritage.
Towana Bluehouse, born in 1962, is a renowned Navajo weaver and artist. Her intricate and vibrant weavings, inspired by traditional Navajo designs and techniques, have been showcased in numerous exhibitions and collections worldwide.
Lastly, Towana Gonzales, a Navajo educator and advocate, has dedicated her life to promoting education and empowerment within Native American communities. She has served as a teacher, administrator, and leader, working tirelessly to create opportunities for future generations.
People
Towana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Towana 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
Towana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Towana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 672 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Towana 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 510,051 US residents.
Is Towana a common name?
We classify Towana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 801 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Towana most popular?
The single biggest year for Towana was 1971, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Towana is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Towana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Towana 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.