Cuba

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Cuba

Pronounced KYOO-bah /ˈkjuːbə/High

Meaning: Cuba as a first name is borrowed straight from the Caribbean island, whose name descends from a Taino word, often given as Coabana. Its brief American use as a girl's name lines up with the Spanish-American War of 1898, when Cuba filled the newspapers, so it reads as a patriotic place-name naming rather than a traditional given name.Low

In 30 seconds: Cuba is a girls' name lifted from the island nation, whose own name is Taino. Its tiny American peak around 1898 tracks the Spanish-American War headlines (said KYOO-bah).

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Origin LowTaino

MeaningCuba as a first name is borrowed straight from the Caribbean island, whose name descends from a Taino word, often given as Coabana. Its brief American use as a girl's name lines up with the Spanish-American War of 1898, when Cuba filled the newspapers, so it reads as a patriotic place-name naming rather than a traditional given name.

U.S. rank (1972)#8527 ↘ Falling

1972 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1898

Total births (all-time)≈ 569

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Cuba as a given name is a place taken personally: the island's name comes from a Taino word, and American parents occasionally borrowed it much as they borrowed America, Geneva or Savannah. Its use should be read as topical and patriotic rather than as a name with its own deep pedigree.

It was always scarce, cresting near 1898 as the war put Cuba in daily print, then trailing off through the mid-twentieth century. As a naming choice it belongs with a small group of place names given to girls in that period.

Did you know? Cuba's flicker as an American baby name lands right on 1898, the year of the Spanish-American War, when the island's name was on every front page - a naming echo of the news.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Cuba (place name) — Taino origin of the island name; Spanish-American War era naming

Variations

CubieCubah

Nicknames

Cubie

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Cuba…

Savannah— another place name given to girls

Geneva— a place-name girl's name of the same era

Cleo— a short vintage girl's name of similar vintage

Verna— an old-fashioned two-syllable contemporary

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cuba mean?

As a first name it is taken from the island of Cuba, whose name comes from a Taino word.

How do you pronounce Cuba?

It's said KYOO-bah /ˈkjuːbə/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Cuba a boy or girl name?

In these historical American records Cuba was used as a girl's name.

Is Cuba a popular name?

No, it was always very rare and cropped up briefly around the turn of the twentieth century.