What popularized the baby name Wanya in the 1990s?

Singer Wanyá Morris
Wanyá Morris

The name Wanya first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1992. It reached peak usage four years later:

  • 1997: 24 baby boys named Wanya
  • 1996: 95 baby boys named Wanya [peak]
  • 1995: 77 baby boys named Wanya
  • 1994: 10 baby boys named Wanya
  • 1993: 7 baby boys named Wanya
  • 1992: 7 baby boys named Wanya [debut]
  • 1991: unlisted
  • 1990: unlisted

Other spellings that popped up in the mid-1990s include Wanye, Wanyae, Wonya, Juanya, Juanye, and Juanyae.

So, what was influencing the name Wanya?

Singer Wanyá (pronounced wahn-yay) Morris, who was born in Philadelphia in 1973.

Wanyá is a founding member of the Philly-based vocal harmony group Boyz II Men — one of the most successful musical acts of the 1990s.

The group’s first two singles, “Motownphilly” and “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday,” both became top-5 hits on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart during the latter months of 1991.

Among Boyz II Men’s other hits were…

  • “End Of The Road” (1992), which became the first song to rank #1 for 13 weeks straight,
  • “I’ll Make Love To You” (1994), which ranked #1 for 14 weeks straight, and,
  • with Mariah Carey, “One Sweet Day” (1995), which became the first song to rank #1 for 16 weeks straight.

Both “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love To You” also won Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (in 1993 and 1995, respectively).

Singer Wanyá Morris in the "Brokenhearted" music video
Wanyá Morris in the “Brokenhearted” video

Another song that would have drawn particular attention to Wanyá Morris’ first name in the mid-’90s was “Brokenhearted,” a duet with Brandy that peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 in October of 1995.

What are your thoughts on the name Wanya? (How would you spell it?)

P.S. Wanyá’s middle name is Jermaine…

Sources: Wanya Morris – Wikipedia, Boyz II Men – Wikipedia, Boyz II Men – Billboard, List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones – Wikipedia, SSA

Images: Screenshots of the music videos for “Water Runs Dry” and “Brokenhearted”

2 thoughts on “What popularized the baby name Wanya in the 1990s?”

  1. Um you left out the part where Wanya Morris named four of his sons Wanya II, Wanya III, Wanya IV, and Wanya V. Cleary committed to the name.

  2. That’s true — he took a page out of George Foreman’s book!

    A quote from a recent-ish article about Wanyá’s sons:

    It’s seemingly just another day in the life for the Morris boys — Wanyá II (“Big Boy,” 15), Wanyá III (“Chulo,” 14), Wanyá IV (“Tyvas,” 12) and Wanyá V (“Rocco,” 9) — who are perhaps better known these days as the up-and-coming singing group WanMor, a hybrid of their first and last names. While the distinction of all four of the boys being named Wanyá may catch your immediate attention, their name could possibly sound quite familiar as well. That’s because their father is also named Wanyá Morris, and he just so happens to be one of the members of the legendary R&B group Boyz II Men.

    Source: Proko, Peter. “Band of Brothers.” South Jersey Magazine Feb. 2020.

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