Unisex name · since 1974
Nakai
Since 1974, U.S. Social Security records show 947 babies named Nakai, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,311 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,269 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 947
- born since 1974
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Nakai is the #2269 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 947 recorded since 1974.
Nakai has 947 recorded births among boys since 1974, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2269 as of the latest data, more common than 84% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1974 to 2025.
- #5,311 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,269 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 947 born since 1974
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nakai ranks #5,311 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,269 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 947 born since 1974, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,311 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,269 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 947
- born since 1974
- 2010s
- peak decade
Nakai's 947 recorded births place it above 88.32% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nakai compares
947 Top 32% higher than 68% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nakai's all-time total is 157% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nakai | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 947 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 62 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nakai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nakai splits its recorded history at 2009: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1995 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 62 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nakai popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1974–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 62
- Annual births at peak, across 52 years of records
Nakai popularity over time - girls
185 total births recorded since 1974 (Nakai as girls' name)
Nakai by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (305 births, 32% of the file).
2010s was Nakai's strongest decade.
305 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Nakai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1990s 62
1990s
62 births
- 2000s
2000s
283 births
- 2010s
2010s
305 births
- 2020s
2020s
280 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 305 births (32% of all-time use).
How Nakai compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nakai's total volume
Nakai by state
Where Nakai concentrates geographically, total births since 1974
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 43 | 4.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 42 | 4.4% |
| #3 | Florida | | 18 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 10 | 1.1% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 5 | 0.5% |
43 of 947 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nakai's data
- Nakai's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (305 total births) through the 2020s (280) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nakais (43 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nakai
Nearby Names Like Nakai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nakai
Compare Nakai side by side: Nakai vs Nakia Nakai vs Nakoa Nakai vs Naksh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nakai
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nakai: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~51 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1974–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nakai draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.