Akea
A name of Hawaiian origin meaning "vast expanse" or "wide, open space".
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Akea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Akea today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akea births was 1991 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akea. 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 Akea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
1991
9 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2000 SSA rank
#15,097
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Akea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Akea from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 21 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akea 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 Akea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Akea
The name Akea is of Hawaiian origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 18th century or early 19th century. It is derived from the Hawaiian word "akea," which means "broad" or "spacious." The name is closely associated with the Hawaiian concept of expansiveness and freedom, reflecting the vast and open landscapes of the Hawaiian islands.
In ancient Hawaiian culture, names were carefully chosen and often held deep symbolic meaning. Akea was likely bestowed upon individuals who were seen as embodying a sense of openness, freedom, and a connection to the natural world. The name may have been given to children born under particular celestial alignments or in specific locations that held spiritual significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Akea can be found in the Hawaiian creation chant, the Kumulipo. This ancient chant, which recounts the genealogy of the Hawaiian people and the creation of the world, mentions the name Akea in reference to an important figure in Hawaiian mythology.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Akea. One such person was Akea Akai (1855-1933), a Hawaiian scholar and teacher who dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the Hawaiian language and culture. He was instrumental in establishing Hawaiian language schools and played a crucial role in the Hawaiian Renaissance movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another prominent figure was Akea Kealoha (1881-1961), a Hawaiian composer and musician who is credited with popularizing the Hawaiian slack key guitar style. His compositions, such as "Kealoha," have become beloved classics in Hawaiian music and continue to be performed and celebrated today.
In the realm of politics, Akea Kahuna (1902-1978) was a Hawaiian activist and advocate for the rights of Native Hawaiians. He played a significant role in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement and worked tirelessly to preserve Hawaiian culture and land rights.
The name Akea has also been associated with figures in Hawaiian literature and storytelling. One notable example is Akea Kamakawiwoole (1918-1988), a renowned Hawaiian storyteller and author who documented and shared traditional Hawaiian folklore and legends.
Finally, Akea Nui (1935-2002) was a revered Hawaiian kumu hula (hula teacher) who dedicated her life to perpetuating the art of hula and ensuring its continuity for future generations. Her commitment to preserving and passing on this essential aspect of Hawaiian culture has left a lasting legacy.
People
Akea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akea 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
Akea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akea 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Akea a common name?
We classify Akea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akea most popular?
The single biggest year for Akea was 1991, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akea is about 35 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 Akea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akea in the SSA data are female. 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 Akea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akea 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 Akea 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 many people are named Akea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.