Wachovia
A name likely derived from an indigenous word meaning "meadow" or "valley".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Wachovia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wachovia today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wachovia births was 1991 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wachovia. 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 Wachovia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1991
7 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1991 SSA rank
#11,479
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Wachovia: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wachovia 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 Wachovia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Geography
Where Wachovias live
Origin
Meaning and history of Wachovia
Wachovia is an intriguing name that has its origins in the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination that traces its roots back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century. The name is derived from the German words "wach" meaning "awake" or "watchful," and "Ober," which translates to "upper" or "higher." Together, these words form the phrase "Wachau," referring to the picturesque Wachau valley region along the Danube River in Austria.
The name Wachovia was first used in the early 18th century when a group of Moravian settlers established a community in what is now Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They named their settlement "Wachovia" as a nod to their spiritual heritage and the vigilance they hoped to maintain in their new home. This settlement grew to become a thriving center of Moravian culture and influence in the American colonies.
Throughout its history, the name Wachovia has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Count Nicholas Louis von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), a prominent leader of the Moravian Church who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Wachovia settlement in North Carolina. His vision and guidance helped shape the community's spiritual and cultural identity.
Another significant figure was Gottlieb Schober (1770-1846), a Moravian minister and surveyor who helped map and lay out the town of Salem, a key component of the Wachovia settlement. His meticulous work ensured the orderly growth and development of the community.
In the realm of education, Samuel G. Agnew (1786-1849) stands out as the founder of the Wachovia Female Academy, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning for women in the United States. The academy, established in 1804, played a crucial role in promoting female education during a time when such opportunities were scarce.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure associated with the name Wachovia was Francis C. Lester (1823-1891), a Moravian minister and educator who served as the principal of Wachovia Female Academy for over two decades. Under his leadership, the academy gained a reputation for academic excellence and attracted students from across the region.
Finally, in the financial realm, the name Wachovia gained prominence with the establishment of the Wachovia Bank and Trust Company in 1911. Originally founded in Winston-Salem, the bank grew to become a major financial institution in the southeastern United States, with branches across several states. The name Wachovia became synonymous with banking and financial services in the region, carrying on the legacy of the original Moravian settlement.
People
Wachovia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wachovia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wachovia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wachovia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wachovia 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Wachovia a common name?
We classify Wachovia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wachovia most popular?
The single biggest year for Wachovia was 1991, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wachovia is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Wachovia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wachovia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wachovia 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.
Is Wachovia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wachovia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Wachovia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Wachovia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.