Umoja
Unity or togetherness, a name of Swahili origin.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Umoja. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Umoja today is around 48 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Umoja births was 1974 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Umoja. 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 Umoja. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1974
5 babies that year
Average age
48
years old
1974 SSA rank
#5,970
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Umoja: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Umoja 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 Umoja 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Umoja
The name Umoja is derived from the Swahili language, which is widely spoken in East Africa. It originated in the region that is now modern-day Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The name Umoja is a Swahili word that means "unity" or "oneness."
Umoja is a relatively modern name, and its origins can be traced back to the late 20th century. It gained popularity in the context of the pan-African movement, which aimed to promote unity, solidarity, and cooperation among African nations and people of African descent worldwide.
The earliest recorded use of the name Umoja seems to be in the context of various organizations, initiatives, and movements that embraced the principles of unity and cooperation. For instance, Umoja is the name of a village in Kenya that was founded in the 1990s by a group of women who sought to create a safe haven and promote self-reliance and empowerment.
While the name Umoja itself may not have been widely documented in ancient texts or historical records, its underlying concept of unity and oneness has been a recurring theme in various cultural and philosophical traditions across Africa.
One notable figure who bore the name Umoja was Umoja Karamu, an African-American playwright, and activist born in 1936. He was a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement and co-founded the Suitcase Theatre in Washington, D.C., which aimed to promote the works of African-American playwrights.
Another individual with the name Umoja was Umoja Sasa, a South African musician, and activist who was born in 1965. He was known for his involvement in the anti-apartheid movement and his efforts to promote African culture and heritage through his music.
In the realm of sports, there was Umoja Labar, a professional basketball player from the United States, who played in various leagues around the world during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Umoja Sadiki was an African-American writer and educator who was born in 1948. He was a prominent figure in the Black Consciousness Movement and dedicated his life to promoting African-centered education and cultural awareness.
Lastly, Umoja Kalonji was a renowned African-American artist and sculptor who was born in 1935. His works celebrated African heritage and culture, and he was recognized for his contributions to the Black Arts Movement.
People
Umoja + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Umoja 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
Umoja: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Umoja?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Umoja 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Umoja a common name?
We classify Umoja as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Umoja most popular?
The single biggest year for Umoja was 1974, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Umoja is about 48 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Umoja a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Umoja 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.