Ugonna
A Nigerian masculine name meaning "strength of the father".
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Ugonna. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.0% of registrations being male. The average person named Ugonna today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ugonna births was 2009 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ugonna. 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
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
2009
16 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,242
Tracked since 1993
Gender
Gender distribution for Ugonna
Ugonna is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 224 total registrations, 177 (79.0%) were male and 47 (21.0%) were female.
Ugonna as a male name
- Ranked #8,242 in 2024
- 10 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2011 (10 births)
Ugonna as a female name
- Ranked #16,707 in 2012
- 6 female births in 2012
- Peak: 2009 (8 births)
Popularity
Ugonna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ugonna from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 94 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ugonna 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 Ugonna 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 Ugonna
The name Ugonna originates from the Igbo language spoken in southeastern Nigeria. It is a combination of two Igbo words: "Ugonna" meaning "father's wealth" or "father's fortune." The name likely first arose during the pre-colonial era when the Igbo culture placed great significance on lineage, ancestry, and the idea of a father's legacy being passed down through his children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ugonna can be found in the literary work "Things Fall Apart" by the renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, published in 1958. In this novel, one of the characters bears the name Ugonna, reflecting the name's deep roots in Igbo culture and tradition.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ugonna. One such figure was Ugonna Ozurigbo (c. 1885 - 1965), a prominent Igbo chief and community leader who played a crucial role in the social and political affairs of his region during the early 20th century.
Another significant bearer of the name was Ugonna Okpara (1920 - 2001), a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the first Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria from 1959 to 1966. He was a key figure in the country's transition to independence and worked tirelessly to promote the interests of the Igbo people.
In the realm of sports, Ugonna Onyeneke (born 1982) is a Nigerian-American former basketball player who played professionally in various leagues across Europe and Asia. His name serves as a testament to the global reach and recognition of Igbo names.
Ugonna Okpara (born 1991) is a contemporary Nigerian actress and model who has gained popularity for her roles in several Nollywood films. Her name reflects the continued use and appreciation of traditional Igbo names in modern times.
While the name Ugonna has its roots in the Igbo culture of southeastern Nigeria, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its way into the lives of individuals from various backgrounds, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the region.
People
Ugonna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ugonna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ugonna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ugonna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ugonna 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 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Ugonna a common name?
We classify Ugonna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 224 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ugonna most popular?
The single biggest year for Ugonna was 2009, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ugonna is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ugonna a male name?
Yes, 79.0% of people registered as Ugonna 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.