Lafonda

A girl's name of African origin with 693 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

Lafonda is a three-syllable girl's name with a open, warm sound — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. With 693 recorded U.S. births since 1928, it sits in a sweet spot: recognizable enough to be a real name, uncommon enough to turn heads.

Lafonda is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.

Lafonda is a girl's baby name of African origin, a creative coinage combining the La- prefix with -fonda, evoking the warmth of the Spanish fonda (inn, boarding house) or the Italian fondo (bottom, depth). The La- prefix is one of the most characteristic elements of African American naming, appearing across hundreds of names from the 1960s onward.

Lafonda has a warm, three-syllable flow that gives it a natural elegance. The -fonda ending — reminiscent of the actress Jane Fonda — adds a cultural familiarity that makes the name feel both innovative and recognizable.

EtymologyShow more

Lafonda is cataloged under the African naming tradition. African naming traditions are extraordinarily diverse, often tying a child’s name to circumstances of birth, family aspirations, or spiritual significance.

In the U.S., Lafonda has been recorded as a girl's name since 1928, with 693 total births. Browse the African names hub on this site to explore the broader family.

At a Glance

693

Total births

Since 1928

1962

Peak

35 births

1928

First recorded

66 years of data

Compare Lafonda with another name

Popularity Over Time

Lafonda has 42+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1928.

First appeared: 1928Peak: 1962 (35 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Lafonda
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1990s	6	#12685	▼
1980s	91	#6449	▼
1970s	232	#3222	▲
1960s	226	#2776	▲
1950s	122	#3736	▲
1940s	11	#4946	▲
1920s	5	#5087	—

The Story of Lafonda

A Baby Boomer name

Peaking in 1962, Lafonda is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named Lafonda are most likely born between 1952 and 1972.

How rare is Lafonda?

With 693 total births on record, Lafonda remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1928, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 1970s with 232 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Lafonda by the numbers

Would fill 14 school buses
Meeting one Lafonda per day would take 1.9 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(42 years, 1928–1993)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Lafonda
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1993	6	#12685	-1 (-14.3%)
1989	7	#10301	-6 (-46.2%)
1987	13	#5771	0
1985	13	#5516	+5 (62.5%)
1984	8	#7768	-5 (-38.5%)
1983	13	#5301	+1 (8.3%)
1982	12	#5729	+1 (9.1%)
1981	11	#6103	-3 (-21.4%)
1980	14	#5105	-2 (-12.5%)
1979	16	#4513	-6 (-27.3%)
1978	22	#3441	+1 (4.8%)
1977	21	#3549	-3 (-12.5%)
1976	24	#3048	+6 (33.3%)
1975	18	#3697	-15 (-45.5%)
1974	33	#2365	+9 (37.5%)
1973	24	#2872	+6 (33.3%)
1972	18	#3463	-13 (-41.9%)
1971	31	#2448	+6 (24.0%)
1970	25	#2820	0
1969	25	#2671	+5 (25.0%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lafonda a boy's or girl's name?

Lafonda is primarily a girl's name.

When was Lafonda most popular?

Lafonda reached its peak popularity in 1962 with 35 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Lafonda?

Lafonda is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 693 babies in the U.S. since 1928. Its peak was in 1962.

Explore More

By Length7-letter names By OriginAfrican names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1928–1993