Kaneka
A Japanese name meaning "flower fragrance" or "floral essence".
Name Census estimates that about 50 living Americans carry the first name Kaneka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaneka today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaneka births was 1979 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaneka. 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 Kaneka. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
50
~ 1 in 6,855,087 Americans
Peak year
1979
10 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1991 SSA rank
#12,207
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Kaneka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaneka from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 32 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaneka 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 Kaneka 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 Kaneka
The name Kaneka is believed to have its origins in Japanese culture, although the exact etymology is uncertain. Some linguists suggest it may be derived from the Japanese words "kane" meaning "gold" or "metal," and "ka" meaning "fragrance" or "aroma," potentially indicating a name associated with precious metals or a pleasing scent.
Despite its Japanese roots, the name Kaneka does not appear to have any significant historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures from the region. The earliest recorded instances of the name are relatively modern, with the first known individual named Kaneka being a Japanese woman born in the late 19th century, around the 1870s.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Kaneka was Kaneka Hayashi, a Japanese artist and calligrapher who lived from 1890 to 1975. Her works were renowned for their elegant brushstrokes and traditional Japanese aesthetic, and she played a significant role in preserving and promoting the art of calligraphy during her lifetime.
Another prominent individual with the name Kaneka was Kaneka Okamoto, a Japanese novelist and essayist who lived from 1920 to 2005. Her literary works often explored themes of identity, feminism, and the complexities of modern Japanese society, earning her critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout her career.
In the field of sports, Kaneka Suzuki was a notable Japanese athlete who competed in track and field events during the 1960s and 1970s. She represented Japan in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and held several national records in sprinting and hurdling events.
Moving to the world of business, Kaneka Watanabe was a successful Japanese entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Kaneka Corporation in 1949. The company initially specialized in manufacturing chemicals and plastics but has since diversified into various industries, including healthcare, biotechnology, and renewable energy.
It's worth noting that while these are some of the more prominent individuals with the first name Kaneka throughout history, the name has likely been used by countless others across different cultures and time periods, each with their own unique stories and contributions.
People
Kaneka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaneka as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kaneka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaneka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 50 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaneka 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 6,855,087 US residents.
Is Kaneka a common name?
We classify Kaneka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 54 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaneka most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaneka was 1979, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaneka is about 44 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 Kaneka in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaneka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaneka 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 Kaneka still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaneka 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 Kaneka 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 the name Kaneka?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Kaneka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.