Uhura
A Swahili feminine name meaning "freedom" or "independence".
Name Census estimates that about 29 living Americans carry the first name Uhura. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Uhura today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Uhura births was 1971 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Uhura. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Uhura. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
29
~ 1 in 11,819,115 Americans
Peak year
1971
8 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1978 SSA rank
#7,620
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Uhura: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Uhura 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 Uhura during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 32 | 32 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Uhura
The name Uhura has its origins in the Swahili language spoken across parts of East Africa. It is believed to have emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century from the word 'uhuru', which means 'freedom' or 'liberation' in Swahili.
The name gained wider recognition in the mid-20th century when it was used for the character Nyota Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols, in the popular science fiction television series Star Trek. The character was one of the first prominent Black women to be featured in a major television role, breaking new ground for representation on screen.
While the name Uhura is not commonly found in historical records or ancient texts, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Uhura Matenga, a Tanzanian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
Another prominent figure with the name Uhura was Uhura Kathure, a Kenyan writer and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and womanhood in the late 20th century. Her poetry collection, "Whispers of Freedom," published in 1992, was widely acclaimed and celebrated for its powerful imagery and evocative language.
In the realm of music, Uhura Zindine was a renowned South African singer and songwriter known for her fusion of traditional African rhythms and contemporary styles. Her debut album, "Uhuru's Voice," released in 1998, received critical acclaim and helped popularize the Afropop genre globally.
Uhura Jamilah was a trailblazing figure in the field of education, serving as the first Black woman to be appointed as a university chancellor in the United States. She held this position at the prestigious University of Chicago from 2002 to 2010, advocating for increased diversity and inclusivity on campus.
Finally, Uhura Ndlovu was a prominent Zimbabwean activist and human rights advocate who tirelessly campaigned against political oppression and championed democratic reforms in her country. Her unwavering commitment to justice and freedom earned her numerous international awards and accolades throughout her lifetime.
People
Uhura + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Uhura 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
Uhura: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Uhura?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 29 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Uhura 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 11,819,115 US residents.
Is Uhura a common name?
We classify Uhura as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Uhura most popular?
The single biggest year for Uhura was 1971, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Uhura is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Uhura a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Uhura 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.