Dakar
Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023.
Meaning & Origin of Dakar
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 million in 2023.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Dakar
Dakar first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1970, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 6 Dakars were born — ranking #4,231 that year. As of 2026, Dakar ranks #8,702 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 28 Dakars have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Dakar
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Abdoulaye Faye , footballer
- Akon , R&B singer
- Baaba Maal , singer and guitarist
- Babacar Khane , yoga practitioner
- Boris Diaw , basketball player
- Bouna Coundoul , footballer
- Bouaré Fily Sissoko , politician
- Cheikh Anta Diop , Historian, anthropologist, physicist, politician Cheikh Anta Diop University
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Dakar
Phonetically similar names — useful when Dakar is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Decor
- Dacor
- Doctor
- Docter
- Daycare
- Dr
- Docker
- Dockter
- Doktor
- Dokter
- Decare
- Decayer
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dakar
What does the name Dakar mean?
How popular is Dakar in 2026?
When was Dakar most popular?
Is Dakar a unisex name?
What names go well with Dakar?
About the name Dakar
Dakar is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 28 births in the dataset. Dakar's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #4,231. Use the chart and map above to compare Dakar's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "D" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.