Chiamaka
An Igbo name meaning "God is beautiful" or "God has done a beautiful thing".
Name Census estimates that about 625 living Americans carry the first name Chiamaka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chiamaka today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chiamaka births was 2017 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chiamaka. 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 Chiamaka with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
625
~ 1 in 548,407 Americans
Peak year
2017
34 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,024
Tracked since 1988
Census
Chiamaka in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 814 people with the first name Chiamaka, which placed it at #14,472 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#14,472
National first-name rank
People counted
814
814 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
95.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chiamaka
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Chiamaka is Black at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.3%) and White (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Chiamaka described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Chiamaka at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.1% · 774
- Two or more races2.3% · 19
- White1.7% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Popularity
Chiamaka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chiamaka from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 248 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chiamaka 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 Chiamaka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chiamakas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Maryland recorded the most babies named Chiamaka, while Georgia, New York, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chiamaka
Chiamaka is a given name that originates from the Igbo language spoken in southeastern Nigeria. The name is derived from the Igbo words "Chi" meaning "God" and "amaka" meaning "beautiful" or "good". Thus, the name Chiamaka translates to "God is beautiful" or "God's beauty".
This given name has been in use among the Igbo people of Nigeria for centuries, and its roots can be traced back to the cultural and religious traditions of this West African ethnic group. The Igbo people have a rich oral tradition, and their names often carry deep symbolism and meaning, reflecting their values and beliefs.
While there are no known references to the name Chiamaka in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is likely that the name has been in use since pre-colonial times in Nigeria. The earliest recorded examples of the name are found in historical records and documents from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the colonial era in Nigeria.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Chiamaka was Chiamaka Okwor, a Nigerian woman born in the late 19th century who was known for her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. She was a successful trader and was instrumental in promoting economic development in her community.
Another notable figure with the name Chiamaka was Chiamaka Okeke, a Nigerian educator and women's rights advocate born in the early 20th century. She dedicated her life to promoting education and empowerment for women and girls, and her work had a significant impact on the advancement of women's rights in Nigeria.
In the mid-20th century, Chiamaka Nwosu was a renowned Nigerian artist and sculptor whose works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people. Her intricate carvings and sculptures depicting traditional Igbo themes and motifs were widely acclaimed and exhibited both nationally and internationally.
More recently, Chiamaka Ajeamo, born in the 1970s, is a Nigerian writer and journalist who has gained recognition for her insightful articles and commentaries on social and political issues in Nigeria. Her work has shed light on important topics and has contributed to public discourse and awareness.
Chiamaka Nri, born in the late 20th century, is a Nigerian fashion designer and entrepreneur who has made a name for herself in the global fashion industry. Her unique designs, which blend traditional Igbo aesthetics with contemporary styles, have been showcased on international runways and have gained a following among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts alike.
People
Chiamaka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chiamaka as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chiamaka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chiamaka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 625 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chiamaka 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 548,407 US residents.
Is Chiamaka a common name?
We classify Chiamaka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 634 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chiamaka most popular?
The single biggest year for Chiamaka was 2017, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chiamaka is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Chiamaka in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 814 people with the name Chiamaka, or 0.27 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #14,472 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Chiamaka in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Chiamaka?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Chiamaka leans strongly female. 809 people counted with this name were female (98.8%), compared with 10 male bearers (1.2%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Chiamaka?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Chiamaka is Black at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.3%) and White (1.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Chiamaka most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Chiamaka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (774 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Chiamaka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chiamaka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chiamaka 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 Chiamaka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chiamaka 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 Chiamaka 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.
How common is the name Chiamaka?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Chiamaka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.