Yohance
Of Bantu origin meaning "he has conquered" or "lion of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the first name Yohance. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yohance today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yohance births was 1973 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yohance. 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
391
~ 1 in 876,610 Americans
Peak year
1973
44 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2023 SSA rank
#14,128
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Yohance: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yohance from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 129 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yohance 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 Yohance during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yohances live
Origin
Meaning and history of Yohance
The name Yohance is of African origin, derived from the Yoruba language spoken in West Africa, primarily in present-day Nigeria. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century during the height of the Yoruba kingdom.
The name Yohance is a combination of two Yoruba words: "Yo" meaning "to live" or "to exist," and "Ance" meaning "to crown" or "to honor." Thus, the name can be interpreted as "one who lives honorably" or "one who is crowned with honor and dignity."
Yohance does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, as it is a more modern name derived from the Yoruba language. However, the concepts of honor, dignity, and respect for life are deeply rooted in many African cultures and traditions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yohance was Yohance Adekunle, a prominent Yoruba chief and leader in the late 18th century, known for his wisdom and commitment to justice. Another notable figure was Yohance Oluwole, a Yoruba philosopher and scholar who lived in the early 19th century and made significant contributions to the study of African philosophy.
In the 20th century, Yohance Bamigbetan was a renowned Nigerian artist and sculptor, recognized for his exceptional woodcarvings and mastery of traditional Yoruba art forms. He lived from 1925 to 2001.
Yohance Massaquoi, born in 1926, was a pioneering African-American librarian and archivist who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting African American history and culture through his work at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York.
Yohance Harper, born in 1969, is a contemporary American author and activist known for his work on social justice issues, particularly related to race, education, and youth empowerment. He has written several books and articles advocating for positive social change.
While the name Yohance is not widely popular globally, it continues to hold significance within African and African diasporic communities, representing the cultural values of honor, dignity, and respect for life.
People
Yohance + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yohance as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yohance: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yohance?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 391 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yohance 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 876,610 US residents.
Is Yohance a common name?
We classify Yohance as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 407 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yohance most popular?
The single biggest year for Yohance was 1973, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yohance is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yohance a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yohance 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.