Girl · #2,897 in 2026

Acacia

Acacia, commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about 1,084 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Australasia, but is now reserved for species mainly from Australia, with others from New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean.

Current Rank
#2,897
Peak Rank
#1,312 (2002)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-23%
1971
First Year
2026
Last Year
2002
Peak Year
#1312
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
56
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Acacia

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Acacia, commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about 1,084 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Australasia, but is now reserved for species mainly from Australia, with others from New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The genus name comes from Neo-Latin ; Gaspard Bauhin in his book Pinax (1623) writes it coming from Dioscorides ; the Koine term ἀκακία akakía is the name he uses for Vachellia nilotica , the original type species growing in Roman Egypt , from ἀκακίς akakis meaning "point". The origin of " wattle " may be an proto-Germanic word meaning "to weave". First attested about 700, Old English : watul referred to the flexible woody vines, branches, and sticks which were interwoven to form walls, roofs, and fences. Since about 1810, it has been used as the common name for the Australian legume trees and
Origin & history
The genus Acacia was considered to contain some 1,352 species until 1986. That year, Leslie Pedley questioned the monophyletic nature of the genus, and proposed a split into three genera: Acacia sensu stricto (161 species), Senegalia (231 species) and Racosperma (960 species), the last name first proposed in 1829 by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius as the name of a section in Acacia , but raised to generic rank in 1835. In 2003, Pedley published a paper with 834 new combinations in Racosperma for species, most of which were formerly placed in Acacia . All but 10 of these species are native t

The Story of Acacia

Acacia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1971, with 16 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 143 Acacias were born — ranking #1,351 that year. As of 2026, Acacia ranks #2,897 for baby girls with 57 births, falling sharply (-23%). In total, more than 4K Acacias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Acacia

Phonetically similar names — useful when Acacia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Acacia

What does the name Acacia mean?
Acacia, commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about 1,084 species of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Australasia, but is now reserved for species mainly from Australia, with others from New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean.
How popular is Acacia in 2026?
In 2026, Acacia ranks #2,897 among girls' names in the U.S., with 57 babies given the name that year.
When was Acacia most popular?
Acacia reached its peak popularity in 2002, ranking #1,312 that year with 143 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Acacia most popular?
Acacia has historically been most popular in Hawaii, New Mexico, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Acacia.
Is Acacia a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Acacia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Acacia?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Acacia include Huldah, Lianne, Drena. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Drena
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Danesha
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About the name Acacia

Acacia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Acacia's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #1,312. Use the chart and map above to compare Acacia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.