Wuanita
Of indigenous American origin, meaning "she who makes beautiful baskets".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Wuanita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wuanita today is around 99 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wuanita births was 1929 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wuanita. 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
- • The typical person named Wuanita is about 99 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Wuanitas were born before 1937.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Wuanita. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1929
5 babies that year
Average age
99
years old
1942 SSA rank
#5,368
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Wuanita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Wuanita from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Wuanita 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 Wuanita 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 Wuanita
The given name Wuanita is believed to have its origins in the Basque language, which is primarily spoken in the Basque Country, a region spanning parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is derived from the Basque word "unita," which means "union" or "unity."
In the early medieval period, the Basque people inhabited a region known as Vasconia, which covered parts of present-day Spain and France. The name Wuanita likely emerged during this time, reflecting the cultural and linguistic roots of the Basque people.
While there are no known references to the name Wuanita in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been in use among the Basque people for centuries, albeit with various spellings and variations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wuanita can be traced back to the 16th century. Wuanita de Armentia (1520-1589) was a Basque noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the social and political affairs of her time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Wuanita. Wuanita Eyre (1877-1957) was an American artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraiture. Wuanita Chadwick (1901-1994) was a pioneering aviator and one of the first women to obtain a commercial pilot's license in the United States.
Wuanita Laver (1913-2006) was a British costume historian and author, renowned for her contributions to the study of fashion history. Wuanita Garcia (1924-2014) was a Mexican-American civil rights activist and educator who advocated for bilingual education and cultural preservation.
Wuanita Tucker (1936-2020) was an American politician and the first African American woman elected to the Oklahoma State Senate, where she served for over two decades, championing educational and social justice causes.
The name Wuanita, with its Basque origins and rich cultural heritage, has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, each leaving their mark on various fields, from art and aviation to civil rights and politics.
People
Wuanita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wuanita 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
Wuanita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wuanita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wuanita 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Wuanita a common name?
We classify Wuanita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wuanita most popular?
The single biggest year for Wuanita was 1929, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wuanita is about 99 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 Wuanita in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wuanita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wuanita 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 Wuanita still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wuanita 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 Wuanita 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 many people share the name Wuanita?
You can see how many people have the name Wuanita on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.