Total births
129
Unisex name · since 1972
Tanaka
Since 1972, U.S. Social Security records show 129 babies named Tanaka, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 129
- total births
- 1972–2004
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 74%
- born in that decade
Tanaka is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 129 have been recorded since 1972.
Tanaka has 129 recorded births among girls since 1972, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, 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 1972 to 2004.
- 129 total births
- 1972–2004 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 74% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
129 girls have been named Tanaka since 1972, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2004.
- 129
- total births
- 1972–2004
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 74%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
74% of everyone ever named Tanaka was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
16 babies were named Tanaka in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
Tanaka's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Tanaka's full recorded timeline at 1979, 32% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 68% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1980, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1978 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Tanaka at a glance
Last recorded 2004Peak year
1978
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1972
Tanaka popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2004
- Peak year (1978)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 33 years of records
Tanaka popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 1976 (Tanaka as boys' name)
Tanaka by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Tanaka's strongest decade.
96 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 74% of all-time use.
Tanaka births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
96 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s 10
2000s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 96 births (74% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tanaka? ▼
129 babies have been named Tanaka since 1972. It was last recorded in 2004. The peak year was 1978 with 16 births.
When was Tanaka most popular? ▼
Tanaka was most popular in the 1970s decade with 96 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Is Tanaka a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Tanaka is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 129 births, and as a boy's name it has 10 births.
How long has the name Tanaka been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tanaka since 1972 -- 33 years through the most recent 2004 data.
What names are similar to Tanaka? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tanya, Tania, Tanisha, Tana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Tanaka's data
- Tanaka's decade-level peak was the 1970s (96 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Tanaka
Nearby Names Like Tanaka
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tanaka
Tanya Girl
#3406 116,855 births
Tania Girl
#1929 28,891 births
Tanisha Girl
#5048 19,340 births
Tana Girl
#8032 9,274 births
Tanesha Girl
5,307 births
Compare Tanaka side by side: Tanaka vs Tanya Tanaka vs Tania Tanaka vs Tanisha
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1972–2004 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tanaka: Baby Name Since 1972 - 129 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tanaka. 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 Tanaka 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 July 2026.