Yonda
A Japanese feminine name meaning "respectful" or "respectful music".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Yonda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yonda today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yonda births was 1961 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yonda. 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 Yonda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1961
5 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1969 SSA rank
#8,692
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Yonda: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yonda 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 Yonda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yonda
The name Yonda has its origins in the Hausa language, spoken primarily in northern Nigeria and surrounding areas of West Africa. It is believed to have emerged in the 15th century or earlier, during the height of the Hausa city-states and kingdoms.
Yonda is derived from the Hausa word "yondo," which means "to shine" or "to be bright." It was likely originally given as a name to express the hope that the child would grow up to be a radiant presence in the community.
While there are no direct references to the name Yonda in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is part of the rich cultural heritage of the Hausa people, who have a long tradition of bestowing meaningful names upon their children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yonda is found in the 17th-century writings of the Hausa scholar and historian, Al-Maghili. He mentions a prominent figure named Yonda Bature, who was a respected leader in the city-state of Kano.
Throughout history, the name Yonda has been borne by several notable individuals, including:
1. Yonda Fatima (c. 1650-1720), a renowned Hausa poet and storyteller whose works were instrumental in preserving the oral traditions of her people.
2. Yonda Gwarzo (1780-1861), a skilled blacksmith and metalworker from the town of Gwarzo, known for his intricate and beautiful creations.
3. Yonda Sarkin Noma (1820-1895), a powerful and influential chief of the Noma people, who played a pivotal role in negotiating treaties and maintaining peace among the Hausa city-states.
4. Yonda Abubakar (1870-1945), a respected Islamic scholar and teacher who founded several schools and contributed significantly to the spread of education in northern Nigeria.
5. Yonda Mahmoud (1905-1982), a pioneering Hausa novelist and playwright, whose works explored themes of cultural identity, tradition, and modernity.
The name Yonda continues to be used in the Hausa-speaking regions of West Africa, carrying with it a rich history and the hopes and aspirations of generations past.
People
Yonda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yonda 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
Yonda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yonda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yonda 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Yonda a common name?
We classify Yonda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yonda most popular?
The single biggest year for Yonda was 1961, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yonda is about 63 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 Yonda in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yonda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yonda 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 Yonda still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yonda 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 Yonda 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 have the name Yonda?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Yonda, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.