Total births
8,738
Unisex name · since 1973
Nakia
Nakia has 8,738 recorded births since 1973 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1974 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7700
- among girls today
- 8,738
- born since 1973
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Nakia is the #7700 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 8,738 recorded since 1973.
Nakia has 8,738 recorded births among girls since 1973, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7700 as of the latest data, more common than 57% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2025.
- #7700 among girls today
- 8,738 born since 1973
- 1970s peak decade
- 57% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nakia is currently the #7700 unisex name in America, more common than 57% of girls - 8,738 born since 1973, peaking in the 1970s.
- #7700
- among girls today
- 8,738
- born since 1973
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 57%
- more common than other girls
Nakia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7700
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 57% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Nakia was born in this single decade.
1974
Single peak year
1,135 babies were named Nakia in 1974 - its busiest year on record.
How Nakia compares
8,738 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Nakia's all-time total is 23x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nakia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,738 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,135 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nakia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nakia splits its recorded history at 1999: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1973 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1974 peak of 1,135 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nakia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1974
Current rank
#7,700
Active since
1973
Nakia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2025
- Peak year (1974)
- 1,135
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Nakia popularity over time - boys
2,006 total births recorded since 1974 (Nakia as boys' name)
Nakia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Nakia's strongest decade.
3,551 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Nakia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
3,551 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,158 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,742 births
- 2000s 942
2000s
942 births
- 2010s 250
2010s
250 births
- 2020s 95
2020s
95 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 3,551 births (41% of all-time use).
How Nakia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nakia's total volume
Nakia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nakia by state
Where Nakia concentrates geographically, total births since 1973
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 778 | 8.9% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 564 | 6.5% |
| #3 | California | | 502 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 459 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 427 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 383 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 379 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Texas | | 371 | 4.2% |
New York share of Nakia's total US births 8.9%
Even split
778 of 8,738 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Nakia appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nakia? ▼
8,738 babies have been named Nakia since 1973. It currently ranks #7700 among girls. The peak year was 1974 with 1,135 births.
When was Nakia most popular? ▼
Nakia was most popular in the 1970s decade with 3,551 total births. The single peak year was 1974.
Where is Nakia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nakia are New York (778 births), Illinois (564 births), California (502 births).
Is Nakia a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Nakia is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 8,738 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,006 births.
How long has the name Nakia been used? ▼
Records for Nakia go back to 1973, giving 53 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nakia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nakita, Nakisha, Nakayla, Nakiya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nakia's data
- Nakia's decade-level peak was the 1970s (3,551 total births); usage has since declined to 95 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Nakias (778 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nakia
Nearby Names Like Nakia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nakia
Nakita Girl
#15598 2,990 births
Nakisha Girl
2,459 births
Nakayla Girl
#9801 1,825 births
Nakiya Girl
#5662 1,797 births
Nakeisha Girl
1,403 births
Compare Nakia side by side: Nakia vs Nakita Nakia vs Nakisha Nakia vs Nakayla
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nakia
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1973–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nakia: #7700 Unisex Name - 8,738 Births, Peak 1974." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nakia. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Nakia 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 June 2026.