The first name Ebony
A girl’s name.
3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 40 girls were named Ebony, making it the 872nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2005, with 478 births (#106).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ebony with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ebony at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 23 girls born in the United States were named Ebony, the 5,452nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1982, when 2,279 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Ebony
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ebony BonesBritish singer, born 1982
- Ebony AyesAmerican pornographic actress, born 1962
- Ebony ObsidianAmerican actress, born 1994
- Ebony HoffmanAmerican basketball player (born 1982)
- Ebony SalmonEnglish association football player, born 2001
- Venus WilliamsAmerican tennis player (born 1980)
Questions
- What does the name Ebony mean?
- From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.
- How popular is the name Ebony?
- In 2025, 40 girls born in England and Wales were named Ebony, ranking 872nd. Its peak was 2005, with 478 births.
- Is Ebony a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 39,453 US babies named Ebony since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ebony most popular?
- 1982 in the United States, when 2,279 babies were named Ebony, its highest rank at 132nd.