Ebony
Ebony is an English feminine given name often given in reference to the color black or to the type of wood. It has been particularly well used by Black people in the United States. It was among the one thousand most popular names for American girls between 1971 and 2005, but has since declined in usage. Spelling variants include Ebonee and Eboni.
Meaning & Origin of Ebony
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ebony is an English feminine given name often given in reference to the color black or to the type of wood. It has been particularly well used by Black people in the United States. It was among the one thousand most popular names for American girls between 1971 and 2005, but has since declined in usage. Spelling variants include Ebonee and Eboni.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ebony
Ebony first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1950, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 2,279 Ebonys were born — ranking #132 that year. As of 2026, Ebony ranks #5,927 for baby girls with 20 births, falling sharply (-42%). In total, more than 39K Ebonys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ebony
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ebony Alleyne , English R&B and soul singer
- L. Ebony Boulware , American general internist, physician-scientist, and clinical epidemiologist
- Ebony Cham (born 2004), French singer
- Ebony Collins (born 1989), American sprinter
- Ebony Day (born 1993), English singer, songwriter, and YouTube personality
- Ebony Flowers , American prose writer and cartoonist
- Ebony Hoffman (born 1982), former professional basketball player and a current assistant coach for the Seattle Storm
- Ebony Hoskin (born 2003), Australian cricketer who currently plays for New South Wales Breakers in the Australian Women's National Cricket League
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ebony
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ebony 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 Ebony
What does the name Ebony mean?
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In which U.S. states is Ebony most popular?
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About the name Ebony
Ebony is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 39K births in the dataset. Ebony's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #132. Use the chart and map above to compare Ebony's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1982 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.