UK girl's name
Afeni
A feminine name of Swahili origin meaning "the air breathed upon childbirth".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Afeni is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Afeni popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2021 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Afeni is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Afeni. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Afeni ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 3 girls were registered as Afeni.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Afeni as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2021
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Afeni mean?
The name Afeni has its origins in the Yoruba language, spoken primarily in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "afe," which means "prosperity" or "wealth." The name Afeni is believed to have originated during the ancient Yoruba civilization, which dates back to the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Afeni can be found in the Odu Ifa, a sacred literary corpus of the Yoruba people that contains stories, proverbs, and divination verses. While the name itself is not directly referenced in these texts, the concept of prosperity and abundance, which the name represents, is a recurring theme in Yoruba spiritual and cultural traditions.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Afeni. One of the earliest recorded examples is Afeni Shakur, the mother of the renowned rapper and activist Tupac Shakur. Afeni Shakur was born Alice Faye Williams in 1947 and was a prominent member of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s.
Another historical figure with the name Afeni was Afeni Kanda, a Nigerian activist and politician who served as a member of the Nigerian Senate from 1999 to 2003. She was born in 1948 and played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and social justice in Nigeria.
In the realm of literature, Afeni was the name of a character in the novel "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, published in 1970. The character's name was likely chosen to reflect the Yoruba cultural heritage and its symbolism of prosperity and abundance.
A more contemporary figure bearing the name Afeni was Afeni Sistarah, a prominent figure in the hip-hop community in the United States. She was born in 1968 and was known for her work as a radio DJ, community organizer, and advocate for social justice.
It is worth noting that while the name Afeni has its roots in the Yoruba language and culture, it has gained popularity across various communities and cultures around the world, particularly in the United States, where it has been embraced as a symbol of strength, resilience, and prosperity.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Afeni by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Afeni was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5581 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Afeni
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Afeni: questions and answers
How popular is the name Afeni in the UK right now?
In 2021, Afeni was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Afeni most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 3 babies registered as Afeni in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Afeni?
A feminine name of Swahili origin meaning "the air breathed upon childbirth".
How many people are called Afeni in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Afeni across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.