Inioluwa
An African Yoruba name meaning "God's wealth" or "God's portion".
Name Census estimates that about 314 living Americans carry the first name Inioluwa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Inioluwa today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Inioluwa births was 2017 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Inioluwa. 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 Inioluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
314
~ 1 in 1,091,574 Americans
Peak year
2017
26 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,406
Tracked since 2006
Gender
Gender distribution for Inioluwa
Inioluwa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 316 total registrations, 130 (41.1%) were male and 186 (58.9%) were female.
Inioluwa as a male name
- Ranked #7,406 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (13 births)
Inioluwa as a female name
- Ranked #16,167 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (17 births)
Popularity
Inioluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Inioluwa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 210 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Inioluwa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Inioluwa 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 Inioluwa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Inioluwas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Inioluwa
The name Inioluwa originates from the Yoruba language spoken in southwestern Nigeria and parts of Benin and Togo. It is a compound name formed from the words "Ini" meaning "source" or "origin" and "Oluwa" meaning "God" or "Lord." The name Inioluwa, therefore, translates to "Source of God" or "Origin of God."
The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries, and their naming traditions often reflect their religious beliefs and values. Inioluwa can be viewed as a name that acknowledges the divine origin of life and expresses gratitude to the Supreme Being.
While the exact origin of the name Inioluwa is difficult to pinpoint, it is believed to have been in use among the Yoruba people for several centuries. The name has been documented in various historical records and literature from the region.
One of the earliest known references to the name Inioluwa can be found in the oral traditions and folktales of the Yoruba people. These stories, passed down through generations, often featured characters with symbolic names that conveyed important cultural values and teachings.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Inioluwa. One such figure was Inioluwa Babatunde, a prominent Yoruba chief and military leader who lived in the 18th century. He played a significant role in the defense of his community against external threats and was renowned for his bravery and strategic leadership.
Another notable Inioluwa was Inioluwa Oluwole, a respected Yoruba scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 19th century. He made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Yoruba culture, language, and traditions.
In more recent times, Inioluwa Deborah Rhor gained recognition as a pioneering Nigerian writer and activist. Born in 1938, she used her literary works to advocate for women's rights and social justice.
Inioluwa Ayodele, born in 1962, is a renowned Nigerian artist known for his vibrant and expressive paintings that depict various aspects of Yoruba culture and traditions.
Inioluwa Afolabi, born in 1975, is a respected Nigerian academic and author who has written extensively on topics related to African history, culture, and development.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Inioluwa throughout history, each making their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Yoruba culture and society.
People
Inioluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Inioluwa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Inioluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Inioluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 314 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Inioluwa 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 1,091,574 US residents.
Is Inioluwa a common name?
We classify Inioluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 316 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Inioluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Inioluwa was 2017, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Inioluwa is about 10 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 Inioluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Inioluwa a female name?
Yes, 58.9% of people registered as Inioluwa 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 Inioluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Inioluwa 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 Inioluwa 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 are called Inioluwa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.