Girls' name · since 1944
Tawanda
4,058 babies named Tawanda in U.S. Social Security records since 1944, with the highest year being 1977. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,956 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,058
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
4,058 girls have been named Tawanda since 1944, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tawanda has been recorded 4,058 times among girls since 1944, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1944 to 2003.
- #2,956 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 4,058 born since 1944
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tawanda ranks #2,956 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,058 born since 1944, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2,956 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,058
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
Tawanda's 4,058 recorded births place it above 95.91% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Illinois.
Tawanda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tawanda's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1944, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1977 peak of 260, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tawanda popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2003
- Peak year (1977)
- 260
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Tawanda by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (2,141 births, 53% of the file).
1970s was Tawanda's strongest decade.
2,141 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Tawanda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 72
1950s
72 births
- 1960s 712
1960s
712 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,141 births
- 1980s
1980s
927 births
- 1990s 184
1990s
184 births
- 2000s 12
2000s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,141 births (53% of all-time use).
How Tawanda 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 Tawanda's total volume
Tawanda by state
Where Tawanda concentrates geographically, total births since 1944
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 314 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Florida | | 232 | 5.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 232 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 222 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 218 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 216 | 5.3% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 206 | 5.1% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 183 | 4.5% |
314 of 4,058 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Tawanda appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tawanda? ▼
Where does Tawanda sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Tawanda most popular? ▼
Where is Tawanda most popular? ▼
How long has the name Tawanda been used? ▼
What names are similar to Tawanda? ▼
What to do with Tawanda's data
- Tawanda's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,141 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Tawandas (314 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tawanda
Nearby Names Like Tawanda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tawanda
Compare Tawanda side by side: Tawanda vs Tawana Tawanda vs Tawnya Tawanda vs Tawny
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tawanda: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1977)
Similar record span (~59 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, 1944–2003 (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 Tawanda 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.