Holding steady.
Popularity of Lavonia since 1880
Babies named Lavonia per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Lavonia's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 16 |
| 1890s | 38 |
| 1900s | 85 |
| 1910s | 202 |
| 1920s | 289 |
| 1930s | 272 |
| 1940s | 234 |
| 1950s | 199 |
| 1960s | 209 |
| 1970s | 227 |
| 1980s | 113 |
| 1990s | 17 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Lavonia is a rare and distinctive American name from the 1880s, a period when inventive feminizations of surnames and Latinate endings were fashionable. Social Security data shows it peaked in 1880 with 12 births, but it has since fallen out of common use, with no new births recorded in the latest year. Its trajectory is stable due to its historic obscurity, and it has never been associated with a particular state or region based on available data. The name offers a vintage charm for parents drawn to neglected 19th-century gems, though its uncertain etymology may require explanation.
Lavonia is likely an American invention of the late 19th century, possibly formed as a feminine elaboration of the surname Lavon or as a variant of the Latin name Lavinia. It may also be a place name derived from Lavonia, Georgia, or Lavonia, Indiana, though the towns' names may themselves derive from the personal name. The name saw modest use in the 1880s but has since become rare.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Lavi, Voni, Nia
Sibling names for Lavonia
Names that share Lavonia's style, for a brother or sister.
