Nakai
The Story of Nakai
As a girl name
Nakai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1974, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 14 Nakais were born — ranking #8,529 that year. As of 2026, Nakai ranks #11,069 for girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 185 Nakais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Nakai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1974, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 54 Nakais were born — ranking #2,462 that year. As of 2026, Nakai ranks #2,928 for boys with 43 births, gradually rising (+15%). In total, more than 970 Nakais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nakai
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nakai 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 Nakai
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About the name Nakai
Nakai is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1974 and has accumulated 970 births in the dataset. Nakai's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #2,462. Use the chart and map above to compare Nakai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.