Ainhoa
A feminine Basque name referring to a flowering bush or shrub.
Name Census estimates that about 2,199 living Americans carry the first name Ainhoa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ainhoa today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ainhoa births was 2019 (368 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ainhoa. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ainhoa with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Ainhoa is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 6 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.2K
~ 1 in 155,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
368 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#943
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Ainhoa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ainhoa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,380 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
Ainhoa 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 Ainhoa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ainhoas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 24 states and territories. Florida, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Ainhoa, while Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 72 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ainhoa
The name Ainhoa has its origins in the Basque language and culture of the Basque Country, an autonomous region straddling the border between northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is derived from the Basque words "ain" meaning "angel" or "grace" and "hoa" meaning "wind" or "breath," suggesting the meaning "breath of an angel" or "graceful wind."
The earliest recorded use of the name Ainhoa can be traced back to the 16th century in Basque-speaking regions. It was a popular name among Basque families, particularly in the provinces of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, and was often associated with the Basque cultural identity and traditions.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Ainhoa was Ainhoa Ibarzabal (c. 1585-1665), a Basque poet and writer from the town of Azpeitia. Her poetry celebrated the beauty of the Basque countryside and the resilience of the Basque people.
In the 18th century, Ainhoa Arizmendi (1721-1789) was a prominent Basque sculptor and woodcarver known for her intricate religious figurines and altarpieces, which can still be found in churches throughout the Basque region.
The 19th century saw the birth of Ainhoa Irazabal (1842-1912), a Basque activist and educator who fought for the preservation of the Basque language and the advancement of women's rights in education.
In more recent times, the name gained wider recognition with Ainhoa Arteta (born 1964), a renowned Basque soprano and opera singer who has performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Another notable bearer of the name is Ainhoa Tirapu (born 1992), a Spanish professional tennis player who has achieved success on the WTA Tour and represented Spain in various international competitions.
While the name Ainhoa remains most strongly rooted in the Basque culture, its unique sound and meaning have gained popularity in other parts of Spain and beyond, becoming a name that evokes grace, beauty, and a connection to the rich cultural heritage of the Basque people.
People
Ainhoa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ainhoa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ainhoa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ainhoa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,199 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ainhoa 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 155,868 US residents.
Is Ainhoa a common name?
We classify Ainhoa as "Rare". It ranks above 94.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,213 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ainhoa most popular?
The single biggest year for Ainhoa was 2019, when 368 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ainhoa is about 6 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 Ainhoa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ainhoa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ainhoa 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 Ainhoa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ainhoa 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 Ainhoa 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 Ainhoa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.