Nyasia
Of African origin, meaning "purpose" or "grace."
Name Census estimates that about 5,285 living Americans carry the first name Nyasia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nyasia today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyasia births was 2006 (344 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyasia. 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 Nyasia with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
5.3K
~ 1 in 64,854 Americans
Peak year
2006
344 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,729
Tracked since 1977
Census
Nyasia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 3,864 people with the first name Nyasia, which placed it at #4,705 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
#4,705
National first-name rank
People counted
3.9K
3,864 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
1.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
79.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nyasia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nyasia is Black at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Nyasia 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 Nyasia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American79.4% · 3,067
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 484
- Two or more races5.7% · 222
- White1.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Popularity
Nyasia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nyasia from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 2,740 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyasia 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 Nyasia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nyasias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. New York, North Carolina, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Nyasia, while Delaware, Indiana, Wisconsin recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 194 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nyasia
The given name Nyasia has its origins in the Swahili language, which is spoken primarily in East Africa. The name is derived from the Swahili word "nyasi," which means "grass" or "vegetation." In Swahili culture, names often carry symbolic meanings related to nature, and Nyasia is believed to signify growth, abundance, and fertility.
Nyasia's roots can be traced back to the 19th century, when it first appeared in written records from the coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania. During this period, the Swahili people were known for their rich oral traditions, and names were carefully chosen to reflect the hopes and aspirations of parents for their children.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Nyasia in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to nature and growth aligns with the cultural beliefs and practices of many African societies. In traditional African communities, names were often seen as a means of connecting individuals to the natural world and honoring the cycles of life.
The earliest recorded example of the name Nyasia dates back to the late 19th century, when it was documented in a collection of Swahili names and their meanings. However, it is likely that the name was in use long before written records were kept.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nyasia, including:
1. Nyasia Pauline (1872-1943), a Kenyan educator and community leader who established one of the first schools for girls in her region.
2. Nyasia Mwamba (1901-1978), a Tanzanian poet and storyteller whose works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Swahili people.
3. Nyasia Kaziba (1922-1998), a Ugandan activist and advocate for women's rights, who played a pivotal role in challenging traditional gender roles.
4. Nyasia Khamis (1945-2011), a renowned Tanzanian artist whose vibrant paintings captured the beauty of East African landscapes and traditions.
5. Nyasia Mbogo (1963-present), a Kenyan environmental scientist and conservationist, recognized for her work in preserving endangered species and promoting sustainable practices.
These individuals, among others, have contributed to various fields, including education, arts, activism, and science, while carrying the name Nyasia as a symbol of their cultural identity and connection to the natural world.
People
Nyasia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyasia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nyasia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyasia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,285 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyasia 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 64,854 US residents.
Is Nyasia a common name?
We classify Nyasia as "Rare". It ranks above 96.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5,376 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyasia most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyasia was 2006, when 344 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyasia is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nyasia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 3,864 people with the name Nyasia, or 1.28 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #4,705 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 Nyasia 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 Nyasia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nyasia appears almost entirely female. Of the 3,866 people counted with this name, 99.7% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Nyasia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nyasia is Black at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Nyasia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Nyasia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (3,067 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 Nyasia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyasia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyasia 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 Nyasia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyasia 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 Nyasia 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 Nyasia?
See how many people share the name Nyasia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.