Girl · #15,243 in 2026

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world's human population.

  • African American
  • Irish
  • Spanish
  • Catalan
Current Rank
#15,243
Peak Rank
#1,325 (1972)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
+1%
1969
First Year
2024
Last Year
1972
Peak Year
#1325
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
56
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Africa

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

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world's human population.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • African American
  • Irish
  • Spanish
  • Catalan
Etymology
Afri was a Latin name used to refer to the inhabitants of what was then known as northern Africa , located west of the Nile river, and in its widest sense referring to all lands south of the Mediterranean , also known as Ancient Libya . This name seems to have originally referred to a native Libyan tribe, an ancestor of modern Berbers ; see Terence for discussion. The name had usually been connected with the Phoenician word ʿafar meaning "dust", but a 1981 hypothesis has asserted that it stems from the Berber word ifri (plural ifran ) meaning "cave", in reference to cave dwellers. The same wor
Origin & history
Main article: History of Africa See also: History of North Africa , History of West Africa , History of Central Africa , History of East Africa , History of Southern Africa , and List of kingdoms in Africa throughout history

The Story of Africa

Africa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1969, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 76 Africas were born — ranking #1,325 that year. As of 2026, Africa ranks #15,243 for baby girls with 5 births, holding steady (+1%). In total, more than 1K Africas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Africa

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Africa. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Aifric

Names that sound like Africa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Africa 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 Africa

What does the name Africa mean?
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers around 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world's human population.
What is the origin of the name Africa?
Africa has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: African American, Irish, Spanish, Catalan.
How popular is Africa in 2026?
In 2026, Africa ranks #15,243 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Africa most popular?
Africa reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #1,325 that year with 76 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Africa most popular?
Africa has historically been most popular in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Africa.
Is Africa a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Africa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Africa?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Africa include Chester, Cleona, Wilmer. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Africa?
Common variants and related forms of Africa include Aifric. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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Wilmer
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Shaquille
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About the name Africa

Africa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Africa's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #1,325. Use the chart and map above to compare Africa'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.