Daigen
A Japanese masculine name derived from elements meaning "great" and "source".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Daigen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Daigen today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daigen births was 2007 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daigen. 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 Daigen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2007
6 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2007 SSA rank
#11,214
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Daigen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Daigen 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 Daigen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Daigen
The name Daigen is of Japanese origin, derived from the words "dai" meaning "great" and "gen" meaning "source" or "origin". This name dates back to the late 8th century, during the Heian period in Japan.
Daigen was initially a Buddhist name, given to those who embraced the teachings and philosophies of the religion. The name carries a sense of reverence and respect, symbolizing the individual's connection to the great source of enlightenment and wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Daigen can be found in the historical text "Nihon Ryoiki", a collection of Buddhist tales and anecdotes compiled in the early 9th century. This text references a Buddhist monk named Daigen, who was known for his spiritual devotion and acts of compassion.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable figures have borne the name Daigen. One such figure was Daigen Soko (1612-1694), a renowned Zen Buddhist teacher and calligrapher who contributed significantly to the spread and understanding of Zen teachings in Japan.
Another influential Daigen was Daigen Kato (1670-1745), a prominent scholar and educator who played a crucial role in the development of the Shinto-Buddhist syncretic tradition known as "Shingon-Shugendo".
In the realm of art, Daigen Shugaku (1801-1879) was a celebrated Japanese painter and calligrapher who specialized in the traditional Nanga style, influenced by Chinese art and philosophy.
Daigen Masunaga (1899-1990) was a prominent Buddhist scholar and author, known for his efforts in introducing and popularizing Buddhist teachings in the West through his writings and translations.
Lastly, Daigen Ikku (1758-1819) was a renowned Japanese writer and poet, best known for his satirical work "Hizakurige", which depicted the travels of two eccentric characters and provided a humorous commentary on the society of the time.
These historical figures, spanning various fields and eras, have all contributed to the rich cultural and intellectual heritage associated with the name Daigen in Japan.
People
Daigen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daigen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Daigen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daigen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daigen 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Daigen a common name?
We classify Daigen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Daigen most popular?
The single biggest year for Daigen was 2007, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daigen is about 19 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 Daigen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Daigen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Daigen 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 Daigen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Daigen 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 Daigen 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 share the name Daigen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.