Akarii
A feminine Japanese name meaning "bright" or "shining".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Akarii. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Akarii today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akarii births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akarii. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Akarii. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,949
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Akarii: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Akarii by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Akarii during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Akarii
The name Akarii is of Hawaiian origin, derived from the ancient Polynesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands. The name's roots can be traced back to the early settlement of the islands, which began around the 4th century AD.
Akarii is believed to be a combination of two words from the Hawaiian language: "aka," meaning "shadow" or "spirit," and "rī," meaning "day" or "light." Thus, the name could be interpreted as "the shadow of light" or "the spirit of the day." This poetic meaning reflects the deep connection between the Hawaiian culture and the natural world, particularly the sun and its life-giving rays.
While the name Akarii does not appear to have any direct references in ancient Hawaiian chants or historical records, its components can be found in various Hawaiian legends and stories. For example, the concept of "aka" as a spiritual essence or shadow is prevalent in Hawaiian mythology, where it is believed that every living being has an "aka" or soul.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Akarii date back to the late 19th century, during the Hawaiian Renaissance period. This was a time when the Hawaiian language and culture experienced a revival after years of suppression by Western influences.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Akarii was Akarii Keawe, a Hawaiian scholar and educator born in 1878. Keawe dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the Hawaiian language and cultural traditions.
Another notable figure was Akarii Kauahi, a Hawaiian musician and composer born in 1895. Kauahi was renowned for his skill in playing the traditional Hawaiian stringed instrument, the `ukulele, and his compositions helped to popularize Hawaiian music both locally and internationally.
In more recent history, Akarii Nihipali was a prominent Hawaiian activist and advocate for indigenous rights, born in 1932. Nihipali played a significant role in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, fighting for the recognition and preservation of Native Hawaiian land rights and cultural practices.
Akarii Kaimana, born in 1948, was a respected Hawaiian artist and cultural practitioner. Kaimana's intricate wood carvings and sculptures depicted scenes from Hawaiian mythology and daily life, showcasing the rich artistic traditions of the islands.
Finally, Akarii Leilani, born in 1970, is a contemporary Hawaiian author and storyteller. Through her books and performances, Leilani has shared the legends, folktales, and oral traditions of the Hawaiian people with audiences around the world, helping to keep these cultural treasures alive for future generations.
While these are just a few examples, the name Akarii has been carried by many individuals throughout Hawaiian history, each contributing to the preservation and celebration of the islands' rich cultural heritage.
People
Akarii + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akarii as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Akarii: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akarii?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akarii going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Akarii a common name?
We classify Akarii as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akarii most popular?
The single biggest year for Akarii was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akarii is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Akarii in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akarii a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akarii in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Akarii still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akarii in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Akarii can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Akarii?
See how many people share the name Akarii on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.