Iyoni
A feminine name of Kiowa origin meaning "cloud".
Name Census estimates that about 19 living Americans carry the first name Iyoni. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Iyoni today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iyoni births was 2023 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iyoni. 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 Iyoni. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
19
~ 1 in 18,039,702 Americans
Peak year
2023
9 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,198
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Iyoni: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iyoni from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 14 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
Iyoni 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 Iyoni 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 Iyoni
The name Iyoni is believed to have its origins in the Yoruba language spoken in West Africa, particularly in present-day Nigeria and parts of Benin. The Yoruba people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back several centuries, and their naming traditions often reflect this.
The name Iyoni is thought to be derived from the Yoruba word "iyon," which means "journey" or "traveler." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who were known for their adventurous spirits or those who embarked on significant journeys during their lifetimes.
While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact time period when the name Iyoni first emerged, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Yoruba civilization, which flourished between the 11th and 16th centuries AD. During this period, the Yoruba people established powerful city-states and developed a sophisticated system of governance, art, and literature.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Iyoni can be found in the Odu Ifa, a sacred corpus of oral literature that forms the basis of the Yoruba spiritual tradition. The Odu Ifa contains stories, proverbs, and teachings that have been passed down through generations of Yoruba priests and scholars.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Iyoni. One such figure was Iyoni Agbaje (1880-1964), a prominent Yoruba trader and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the economic development of Lagos, Nigeria, during the early 20th century. Another influential figure was Iyoni Olawole (1912-1989), a renowned Nigerian playwright and actor who helped popularize Yoruba theater and literature.
In the realm of music, Iyoni Faye (born 1956) is a celebrated Senegalese singer and songwriter who has been instrumental in promoting the rich cultural heritage of West Africa through her music. Iyoni Taiye (born 1978) is a Nigerian-American artist and designer known for her vibrant and culturally inspired works.
Iyoni Akinsola (1928-2001) was a notable Yoruba scholar and author who made significant contributions to the preservation and documentation of Yoruba language and culture. His works are widely studied and referenced by scholars and researchers worldwide.
It is worth noting that while the name Iyoni has its roots in the Yoruba culture, it has gained popularity and recognition beyond West Africa. Individuals from various cultural backgrounds and regions have adopted this name, appreciating its unique sound and the rich cultural heritage it represents.
People
Iyoni + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iyoni 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
Iyoni: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iyoni?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iyoni 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 18,039,702 US residents.
Is Iyoni a common name?
We classify Iyoni as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iyoni most popular?
The single biggest year for Iyoni was 2023, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iyoni is about 7 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 Iyoni in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iyoni a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Iyoni 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 Iyoni still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iyoni 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 Iyoni 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 Iyoni?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.