Dakuan
An uncommon Japanese masculine name derived from the phrase "emerging from darkness".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Dakuan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dakuan today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dakuan births was 1995 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dakuan. 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 Dakuan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1995
5 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1995 SSA rank
#9,129
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Dakuan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dakuan 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 Dakuan 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 Dakuan
The name Dakuan has its origins in Japanese culture, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "daku" meaning "to embrace" and "an" meaning "peace" or "tranquility." The combination of these words suggests a meaning of "embracing peace" or "embracing tranquility."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dakuan can be found in the annals of Zen Buddhism, where it was the name of a renowned Zen monk and calligrapher who lived from 1533 to 1616. Dakuan Shoen, as he was known, played a significant role in spreading the teachings of Zen Buddhism throughout Japan during the Muromachi period.
In the realm of Japanese literature, Dakuan Genkuro (1759-1838) was a prominent poet and scholar who made notable contributions to the study of classical Japanese poetry. His works, including commentaries on the renowned anthology "Kokin Wakashū," were highly regarded during the Edo period.
Moving forward in history, Dakuan Satomi (1837-1917) was a influential Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the Governor of Aomori Prefecture and later as the Minister of Education in the early Meiji era. His efforts in modernizing Japan's education system left a lasting impact.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dakuan was Dakuan Noguchi (1904-1976), a Japanese-American artist and sculptor. Born in Los Angeles, his works were heavily influenced by his Japanese heritage and embraced modernist styles, earning him recognition in both the United States and Japan.
Dakuan Butsujo (1891-1965) was a revered Buddhist monk and calligrapher who played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the traditional arts of Japan. His calligraphic works were widely celebrated, and he was instrumental in establishing the Bunka Gakuin Daigaku, a prestigious institution for the study of Japanese culture and arts.
While the name Dakuan may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and association with influential figures in Japanese culture and Buddhism have given it a unique and profound significance, reflecting the values of peace, tranquility, and embracing one's cultural roots.
People
Dakuan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dakuan 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
Dakuan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dakuan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dakuan 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 Dakuan a common name?
We classify Dakuan 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 Dakuan most popular?
The single biggest year for Dakuan was 1995, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dakuan is about 30 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 Dakuan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dakuan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dakuan 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 Dakuan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dakuan 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 Dakuan 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 have Dakuan as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.