Kanako
Kanako is a feminine Japanese given name.
Meaning & Origin of Kanako
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kanako is a feminine Japanese given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kanako
Kanako first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1984, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 10 Kanakos were born — ranking #8,805 that year. As of 2026, Kanako ranks #16,460 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 51 Kanakos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Kanako
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Kanako Abe ( 阿部 加奈子 ; born 1973) , Japanese conductor, composer and pianist
- Kanako Domori ( 堂森 佳南子 ; born 1975) , Japanese wheelchair tennis player
- Kanako Enomoto ( 榎本 加奈子 ; born 1980) , Japanese actress and model
- Kanako Fukaura ( 深浦 加奈子 ; 1960-2008) , Japanese actress
- Kanako Haginaga ( 萩永 佳奈子 ; born 1975) , Japanese runner
- Kanako Higuchi ( 樋口 可南子 ; born 1958) , Japanese actress
- Kanako Hirai ( 平井 香菜子 ; born 1984) , Japanese volleyball player
- Kanako Hiramatsu ( 平松 可奈子 ; born 1991) , Japanese former idol of idol group SKE48
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Kanako
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kanako is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kanako
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About the name Kanako
Kanako is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 51 births in the dataset. Kanako's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #8,805. Use the chart and map above to compare Kanako's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl 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.