Uniqua
A unique and quirky feminine name possibly derived from the word "unique".
Name Census estimates that about 471 living Americans carry the first name Uniqua. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Uniqua today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Uniqua births was 1992 (122 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Uniqua. 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.
People living today
471
~ 1 in 727,716 Americans
Peak year
1992
122 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2010 SSA rank
#16,853
Tracked since 1982
Census
Uniqua in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 398 people with the first name Uniqua, which placed it at #24,271 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
#24,271
National first-name rank
People counted
398
398 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
93.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uniqua
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Uniqua is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Uniqua 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 Uniqua at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.0% · 370
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 8
- Two or more races2.0% · 8
- White1.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Popularity
Uniqua: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Uniqua from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 398 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Uniqua 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 Uniqua during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Uniquas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. North Carolina, New York, Virginia recorded the most babies named Uniqua, while Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Uniqua
The name Uniqua is believed to have originated from the Lenape tribe, a Native American group that inhabited the Delaware River valley in the northeastern United States. The name is thought to be derived from the Lenape word "unk-wee," which translates to "truth" or "honesty." The Lenape people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back thousands of years, and their language played a significant role in shaping the names used in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Uniqua can be found in the writings of Dutch settlers who encountered the Lenape tribe in the 17th century. These settlers often documented the names and traditions of the indigenous peoples they encountered, providing valuable insights into the origins and meanings of names like Uniqua.
While the name Uniqua does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used by members of the Lenape tribe for centuries before the arrival of European settlers. The name's association with truth and honesty may have held significant cultural and spiritual significance for the Lenape people.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Uniqua. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Uniqua, a Lenape woman born around 1650 who played a crucial role in mediating peace between her tribe and the Dutch settlers in the Delaware Valley. Her diplomacy and commitment to peaceful coexistence earned her respect from both communities.
Another famous bearer of the name was Uniqua, a Lenape warrior born in the early 18th century, who fought alongside the British during the French and Indian War. His bravery and leadership on the battlefield earned him recognition and respect from both his tribe and the British forces.
In the late 19th century, Uniqua was the name of a prominent Lenape artist and craftsperson known for her intricate beadwork and traditional designs. Her artwork and cultural contributions helped preserve and celebrate the rich heritage of the Lenape people.
During the early 20th century, Uniqua was the name of a respected Lenape educator and language advocate who worked tirelessly to preserve and teach the Lenape language to younger generations. Her efforts played a crucial role in maintaining the cultural and linguistic traditions of her tribe.
More recently, in the late 20th century, Uniqua was the name of a Lenape environmental activist and community leader who fought to protect the land rights and natural resources of her tribe. Her dedication to preserving the environment and defending indigenous rights earned her widespread recognition and admiration.
People
Uniqua + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Uniqua as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with U
Other first names starting with U with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Uniqua: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Uniqua?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 471 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Uniqua 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 727,716 US residents.
Is Uniqua a common name?
We classify Uniqua as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 488 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Uniqua most popular?
The single biggest year for Uniqua was 1992, when 122 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Uniqua is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Uniqua in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 398 people with the name Uniqua, or 0.13 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #24,271 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 Uniqua 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 Uniqua?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Uniqua appears almost entirely female. Of the 401 people counted with this name, 100.0% 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 Uniqua?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Uniqua is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Uniqua most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Uniqua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (370 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 Uniqua in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Uniqua a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Uniqua 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 Uniqua still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Uniqua 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 Uniqua 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 Uniqua?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Uniqua at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.