Daigo
A masculine Japanese name meaning "great stride" or "great go player".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Daigo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Daigo today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daigo births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daigo. 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 Daigo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,590
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Daigo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Daigo 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 Daigo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Daigo
The name Daigo originates from Japan, where it has been in use for centuries. It is a masculine Japanese name derived from the words "dai" meaning "great" or "large" and "go" meaning "strong" or "mighty." The name can be interpreted as "great strength" or "great valor."
In ancient Japan, the name Daigo was often given to sons of samurai warriors or noble families, as it conveyed a sense of power, bravery, and resilience. It was a name bestowed upon those who were expected to uphold the values of honor, courage, and loyalty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Daigo can be found in the Nihon Shoki, an ancient chronicle of Japan's imperial history dating back to the 8th century. This text mentions a prince named Daigo who lived during the Asuka period (538-710 CE).
Throughout Japanese history, several notable figures have borne the name Daigo. One of the most prominent was Emperor Daigo (885-930 CE), the 60th emperor of Japan. His reign was marked by conflicts with the powerful Fujiwara clan, and he was eventually forced to abdicate due to political turmoil.
Another significant figure was Daigo Fukuyu Masashige (1561-1612), a renowned samurai and feudal lord during the Sengoku period. He was known for his military prowess and loyalty to the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the realm of literature, Daigo Matsuo (1765-1844) was a celebrated haiku poet and scholar during the Edo period. His works were widely acclaimed for their unique style and profound observations of nature.
More recently, Daigo Umehara (born 1981) is a professional gamer and fighting game player from Japan. He is considered one of the best players in the world and has won numerous tournaments in various fighting game franchises.
While the name Daigo has its roots in Japanese culture, it has gained popularity globally, transcending its original linguistic and cultural boundaries. The name continues to be a symbol of strength, valor, and resilience, reflecting the enduring legacy of its historical significance.
People
Daigo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daigo 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
Daigo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daigo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daigo 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 Daigo a common name?
We classify Daigo 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 Daigo most popular?
The single biggest year for Daigo was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daigo is about 10 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 Daigo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Daigo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Daigo 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 Daigo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Daigo 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 Daigo 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 Americans are named Daigo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.