Ebony

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Ebony

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Ebony is a type of wood, so dark and beautiful that it is often used in decorative carving, and is often considered as a precious stone.

It comes from the Middle English word “hebenyf” which comes from Latin “hebeninus,” which comes from Greek “ebenos,” from the Egyptian word “hebony.”

History:
Ebony, both wood and color, holds connotations of great dark beauty.

In 1945, the word “ebony” was chosen as the title as a popular magazine aimed at African-Americans. In the 1970s and 1980s it became a very popular name for African-Americans girls.

Pronunciation: eb-uh-nee.

Alternates: Eboni, Ebonie, Ebonye.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.027 % named Ebony
0.003 % named Eboni
0.001 % named Ebonie

Popularity of Ebony:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1970: N/A
1970-1980: 343rd most popular.
1980-1990: 159th most popular.
1990: 194th most popular.
1991: 200th most popular.
1992: 221st most popular.
1993: 251st most popular.
1994: 293rd most popular.
1995: 316th most popular.
1996: 356th most popular.
1997: 377th most popular.
1998: 441st most popular.
1999: 488th most popular.
2000: 564th most popular.
2001: 667th most popular.
2002: 697th most popular.
2003: 753rd most popular.

Popularity of Eboni:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1980: N/A
1980-1990: 669th most popular.
1990: 840th most popular.
1991: 862nd most popular.
1992: 862nd most popular.
1993: 871st most popular.
1994: 935th most popular.
1995: 833rd most popular.
1996: 986th most popular.
1997: N/A