Girls' name · since 1969
Africa
Since 1969, U.S. Social Security records show 1,042 babies named Africa, peaking in 1972. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7,296 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #11,136 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,042
- born since 1969
- 1970s
- peak decade
1,042 babies have been named Africa since 1969, making it today's #11136 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Africa recorded 1,042 times among girls since 1969, holding rank #11136 nationally today, ahead of 36% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #7,296 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #11,136 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,042 born since 1969
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Africa ranks #7,296 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #11,136 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,042 born since 1969, peaking in the 1970s.
- #7,296 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #11,136 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,042
- born since 1969
- 1970s
- peak decade
Africa's 1,042 recorded births place it above 89.9% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
10 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Georgia.
How Africa compares
1,042 Top 31% higher than 69% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Africa's all-time total is 177% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Africa | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,042 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 76 | 21 | 19,840 |
Africa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Africa's full recorded timeline at 1997, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2024, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1972 peak of 76 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Africa popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 76
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Africa by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (441 births, 42% of the file).
1970s was Africa's strongest decade.
441 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Africa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 7
1960s
7 births
- 1970s
1970s
441 births
- 1980s 115
1980s
115 births
- 1990s
1990s
193 births
- 2000s 133
2000s
133 births
- 2010s 99
2010s
99 births
- 2020s 54
2020s
54 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 441 births (42% of all-time use).
How Africa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Africa's total volume
Africa by state
Where Africa concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 36 | 3.5% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 30 | 2.9% |
| #3 | California | | 29 | 2.8% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 7 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 7 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 6 | 0.6% |
36 of 1,042 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Africa appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Africa? ▼
Where does Africa sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Africa most popular? ▼
Where is Africa most popular? ▼
How long has the name Africa been used? ▼
What names are similar to Africa? ▼
What to do with Africa's data
- Africa's decade-level peak was the 1970s (441 total births); usage has since declined to 54 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Africas (36 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Africa
Nearby Names Like Africa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Africa
Compare Africa side by side: Africa vs Afreen Africa vs Afrah Africa vs Afrika
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Africa
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Africa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1972)
Similar record span (~56 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1969–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Africa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.