Girl · #7,567 in 2026

Nonya

The Peranakan Chinese are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang, namely the British, Portuguese, and Dutch colonial ports in the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago, as well as Singapore. The Peranakan Chinese are often simply referred to as the Peranakans.

Current Rank
#7,567
Peak Rank
#3,287 (1976)
Total Babies
28
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1976
First Year
1977
Last Year
1976
Peak Year
#3287
Peak Rank
28
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nonya

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

The Peranakan Chinese are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang, namely the British, Portuguese, and Dutch colonial ports in the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago, as well as Singapore. The Peranakan Chinese are often simply referred to as the Peranakans.

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

Etymology
The word Peranakan is a grammatical inflection of the Malay and Indonesian word anak , meaning child or offspring . With the addition of the prefix per- and the suffix -an to the root anak , the modified word peranakan has a variety of meanings. Among other things, it can mean womb , or it can be used as a designator of genealogical descent, connoting ancestry or lineage, including great-grandparents or more-distant ancestors. On its own, when used in common parlance, the word "peranakan" does not denote a specific ethnicity of descent unless followed by a subsequent qualifying noun. For examp
Origin & history
This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Peranakan Chinese" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( March 2022 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Hok An Kiong Chinese Temple, Jalan Coklat, Surabaya c. 1900 – 1920. Large Chinese communities were already present in Java when the Dutch arrived just before the 1600s. Many Chinese had native concubines until a large group of mestizos arose, who spoke Malay o

The Story of Nonya

Nonya first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1976, with 21 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1976, when 21 Nonyas were born — ranking #3,287 that year. As of 2026, Nonya ranks #7,567 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 28 Nonyas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s 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

Names that sound like Nonya

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nonya 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 Nonya

What does the name Nonya mean?
The Peranakan Chinese are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang, namely the British, Portuguese, and Dutch colonial ports in the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Archipelago, as well as Singapore. The Peranakan Chinese are often simply referred to as the Peranakans.
How popular is Nonya in 2026?
In 2026, Nonya ranks #7,567 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Nonya most popular?
Nonya reached its peak popularity in 1976, ranking #3,287 that year with 21 babies given the name.
Is Nonya a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nonya is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nonya?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nonya include Shelena, Jaimy, Arnetra. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Shelena
Peak #3287
👧
Jaimy
Peak #3287
👧
Arnetra
Peak #3287
👧
Svetlana
Peak #3288
👧
Kelise
Peak #3288
👧
Makennah
Peak #3288
👧
Janayah
Peak #3288
👧
Coila
Peak #3285

About the name Nonya

Nonya is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 28 births in the dataset. Nonya's peak popularity came in 1976 when it ranked #3,287. Use the chart and map above to compare Nonya'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.