Ohemaa
A feminine name of Akan origin meaning "Queen" or "Queenly".
Name Census estimates that about 121 living Americans carry the first name Ohemaa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ohemaa today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ohemaa births was 2024 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ohemaa. 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 Ohemaa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
121
~ 1 in 2,832,680 Americans
Peak year
2024
19 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,315
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Ohemaa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ohemaa from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 60 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
Ohemaa 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 Ohemaa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ohemaas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ohemaa
The name Ohemaa originates from the Akan language spoken in Ghana and other parts of West Africa. It is a feminine given name that has its roots in the Twi dialect of the Akan language. Ohemaa translates to "Queen" or "Female Ruler" and is often associated with royalty, power, and leadership.
In the Akan culture, Ohemaa was traditionally given to daughters born into royal families or those with a strong connection to the chieftaincy lineage. The name carried significant cultural and historical significance, representing the strength, wisdom, and authority of women in Akan society.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Ohemaa can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Akan people. These stories and legends often featured powerful female figures, such as queens, warriors, and influential leaders, who bore the name Ohemaa.
Throughout history, several notable women have been named Ohemaa. Among them is Ohemaa Nana Akua Birago, a 17th-century Akan queen renowned for her strategic leadership during a period of territorial disputes. Another prominent figure is Ohemaa Nana Yaa Asantewaa, who led the famous War of the Golden Stool against British colonizers in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, Ohemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who reigned as the Asantehemaa (Queen Mother of the Ashanti Kingdom) from 1977 to 2016, was a highly respected figure in Ghana and played a crucial role in preserving Akan traditions and culture.
Other notable women named Ohemaa include Ohemaa Mercy, a celebrated contemporary Ghanaian gospel musician born in 1981, and Ohemaa Woyeje, a renowned Ghanaian writer and academic born in 1932, known for her contributions to literature and women's education.
While the name Ohemaa holds deep historical and cultural significance, it continues to be a popular name choice among Akan families in Ghana and the broader African diaspora, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of strong and influential women in Akan society.
People
Ohemaa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ohemaa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ohemaa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ohemaa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 121 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ohemaa 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 2,832,680 US residents.
Is Ohemaa a common name?
We classify Ohemaa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ohemaa most popular?
The single biggest year for Ohemaa was 2024, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ohemaa 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 Ohemaa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ohemaa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ohemaa 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 Ohemaa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ohemaa 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 Ohemaa 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 Ohemaa?
Find out how many people share the name Ohemaa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.