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Jawanza
How to Pronounce Jawanza
Pronounced juh-WAHN-zuh /dʒəˈwɑn.zə/Medium
Meaning: Jawanza is a Kiswahili-derived name embraced by African-American families, especially in the Kwanzaa-era movement to choose names of African origin; it is commonly glossed as 'dependable' or 'one who brings.' Exact roots are variously reported, so the sense is given with modest confidence.Low
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
Jawanza belongs to the wave of Kiswahili and African names American families embraced from the 1970s onward, often glossed as 'dependable' or 'one who brings.' It rose alongside Kwanzaa and the broader movement toward names honoring African heritage.
It was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak around 1993, and it has stayed rare. A boy named Jawanza then is in his thirties now.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Jawanza Kunjufu (b. 1953)American educator and author of books on Black student achievement.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Jawanza mean?
It is a Kiswahili-linked African-American name, commonly glossed as 'dependable' or 'one who brings.'
How do you pronounce Jawanza?
It is said juh-WAHN-zuh /dʒəˈwɑn.zə/, with the stress as marked.
Is Jawanza a boy or girl name?
Jawanza is used here as a boy's name.
How popular is Jawanza?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the early nineteen-nineties.