Jidenna
A masculine Nigerian given name meaning "to witness the morning sun".
Name Census estimates that about 393 living Americans carry the first name Jidenna. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jidenna today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jidenna births was 2019 (52 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jidenna. 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 Jidenna with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
393
~ 1 in 872,148 Americans
Peak year
2019
52 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,801
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Jidenna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jidenna from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 218 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
Jidenna 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 Jidenna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jidennas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Maryland recorded the most babies named Jidenna, while Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jidenna
The name Jidenna is a modern creation that appears to have its origins in the Igbo language spoken in parts of Nigeria. While the precise etymology is uncertain, some sources suggest it may be a combination of the Igbo words "ji" meaning to live or survive, and "edena" meaning to look upon with favor or approval.
In this interpretation, Jidenna could be understood as a name expressing a wish or hope for a child to live a favored or blessed life. However, the name does not seem to have any clear historical references or connections to ancient texts or religious scriptures from the region.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jidenna appears to be relatively recent, likely emerging in the late 20th or early 21st century as a modern Nigerian name. While there may be individuals who bore this name earlier, no notable historical figures with the first name Jidenna have been widely documented.
One of the most famous individuals to popularize the name is Jidenna Theodore Mobisson, an American rapper, singer, and songwriter born in 1985 in Wisconsin. His stage name, Jidenna, has helped to bring more widespread recognition to this relatively new name.
Another individual with the name is Jidenna Morgan, a Nigerian-American actor and model who has appeared in various television shows and films in the 2010s.
Jidenna Unoh is a Nigerian entrepreneur and business executive who has worked in the technology and financial sectors.
Jidenna Nwaogwugwu is a Nigerian footballer who has played professionally in various clubs in Nigeria and abroad.
Jidenna Nwachukwu is a Nigerian-born artist and painter based in the United States, known for her vibrant works celebrating African culture and identity.
While the name Jidenna is still relatively uncommon globally, its growing popularity, particularly among Nigerians and those of Nigerian descent, reflects the ongoing evolution of naming traditions and the influence of cultural heritage in modern times.
People
Jidenna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jidenna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jidenna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jidenna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 393 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jidenna 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 872,148 US residents.
Is Jidenna a common name?
We classify Jidenna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 396 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jidenna most popular?
The single biggest year for Jidenna was 2019, when 52 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jidenna 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 Jidenna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jidenna a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jidenna in the SSA data are male. 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 Jidenna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jidenna 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 Jidenna 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 share the name Jidenna?
You can see how many Americans are named Jidenna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.