Akem
Noble son, from the Dakota tribe's language.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Akem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Akem today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akem births was 1996 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akem. 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 Akem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1996
5 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,043
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Akem: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Akem 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 Akem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Akem
The name Akem has its origins in West Africa, particularly among the Akan people of present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. It is derived from the Akan language and is believed to have been in use since ancient times.
Akem is a masculine name that means "born on Saturday" or "born on the seventh day." In the Akan culture, each day of the week is associated with a specific name, and children are often named based on the day they were born.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Akem appears in the Akan oral traditions and folklore. These stories and tales have been passed down through generations and often feature characters with traditional Akan names like Akem.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Akem, there are a few notable individuals worth mentioning. Akem Ojo (1910-1992) was a renowned Nigerian artist and sculptor who played a significant role in the development of modern African art. His works are featured in various museums and galleries around the world.
Another prominent figure was Akem Mensah (1915-1998), a Ghanaian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the United Nations.
In the realm of sports, Akem Cann (born 1983) is a former professional basketball player from the Bahamas who played in various leagues around the world, including the NBA Development League.
Akem Manah (born 1964) is a Liberian-American author and educator who has written several books on African history and culture, including "The Road to Freedom: A Story of the Reconstruction."
Lastly, Akem Nabnian (born 1972) is a former professional soccer player from Liberia who played for several clubs in Europe and represented his country in international competitions.
While the name Akem has its roots in West Africa, it has gained popularity and recognition globally, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
People
Akem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akem 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
Akem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akem 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Akem a common name?
We classify Akem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akem most popular?
The single biggest year for Akem was 1996, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akem is about 29 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 Akem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Akem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akem 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 Akem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Akem 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 Akem 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 called Akem?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.