Sakai
Sakai is both a Japanese surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Sakai
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sakai is both a Japanese surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sakai
As a girl name
Sakai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2003, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 12 Sakais were born — ranking #9,379 that year. As of 2026, Sakai ranks #13,427 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 90 Sakais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Sakai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1998, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 69 Sakais were born — ranking #2,163 that year. As of 2026, Sakai ranks #2,163 for boys with 69 births, rising sharply (+239% over the past five years). In total, more than 556 Sakais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sakai
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sakai 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 Sakai
What does the name Sakai mean?
How popular is Sakai in 2026?
When was Sakai most popular?
In which U.S. states is Sakai most popular?
Is Sakai a unisex name?
What names go well with Sakai?
About the name Sakai
Sakai is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1998 and has accumulated 556 births in the dataset. Sakai's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #2,163. Use the chart and map above to compare Sakai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- 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.