Zavanna
A feminine variant form of Giovanna, an Italian name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 30 living Americans carry the first name Zavanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zavanna today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zavanna births was 2012 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zavanna. 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 Zavanna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
30
~ 1 in 11,425,145 Americans
Peak year
2012
8 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2018 SSA rank
#15,640
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Zavanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zavanna from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 25 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
Zavanna 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 Zavanna 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 Zavanna
The name Zavanna is thought to have its origins in ancient Sanskrit, an Indo-Aryan language from the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "zavana," which means "movement" or "acceleration." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were swift or agile.
One of the earliest known references to the name Zavanna can be found in the ancient Hindu scripture, the Rigveda, which dates back to around 1500 BCE. In this text, there is a mention of a warrior named Zavanna, who was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle.
Over the centuries, the name Zavanna has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Zavanna the Great, a Persian philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 9th century CE. He made significant contributions to the field of algebra and is credited with developing the concept of algorithms.
Another historical figure with the name Zavanna was an Italian explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. This Zavanna played a crucial role in establishing relations with the indigenous populations they encountered, acting as an interpreter and cultural mediator.
In the realm of literature, Zavanna was the name of a character in a popular medieval Persian epic poem known as the Shahnameh, written by the poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. This Zavanna was portrayed as a wise and noble king who ruled with justice and compassion.
During the Renaissance period, a notable Italian artist named Zavanna da Vinci, who lived from 1452 to 1519, gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures. His works adorned many churches and palaces throughout Italy, showcasing his exceptional craftsmanship.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have borne the name Zavanna throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and cultures. While the name may have evolved and taken on different spellings over time, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language, reflecting a rich cultural heritage.
People
Zavanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zavanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zavanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zavanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 30 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zavanna 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 11,425,145 US residents.
Is Zavanna a common name?
We classify Zavanna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 46.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zavanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Zavanna was 2012, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zavanna is about 13 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 Zavanna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zavanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zavanna 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 Zavanna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zavanna 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 Zavanna 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 Zavanna?
Want to know how many people share the name Zavanna? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.