Kanichi
A masculine Japanese name combining the elements "kani" (perseverance) and "chi" (wisdom).
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Kanichi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kanichi today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kanichi births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kanichi. 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 Kanichi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,638
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Kanichi: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kanichi 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 Kanichi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kanichi
The given name Kanichi originates from Japan and has its roots in the Japanese language. The name is believed to have been derived from the combination of two Japanese words, "kani" meaning "crab" and "ichi" meaning "one" or "first."
The earliest recorded use of the name Kanichi dates back to the 15th century during the Muromachi period in Japan. It was a common practice during this time to give names that reflected nature or natural elements, which could explain the origin of this name.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Kanichi was Kanichi Tsutsumi, a Japanese samurai and retainer of the Takeda clan who lived during the late 16th century. He is known for his bravery and loyalty in the battle of Mikatagahara in 1573.
Another historical figure with the name Kanichi was Kanichi Suzuki, a Japanese politician and diplomat who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan from 1901 to 1905 and played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.
In the realm of literature, Kanichi Tanaka was a renowned Japanese novelist and poet who lived from 1888 to 1963. He is known for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, such as "The Broken Commandment" and "The Izu Dancer."
Moving to the world of art, Kanichi Iizuka was a Japanese painter and printmaker active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a prominent figure in the Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) movement and is celebrated for his intricate depictions of traditional Japanese landscapes and subjects.
Lastly, Kanichi Nakamura was a Japanese film actor who graced the silver screen in the mid-20th century. He appeared in numerous popular Japanese films, including several directed by the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and is remembered for his versatile acting skills and memorable performances.
People
Kanichi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kanichi 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
Kanichi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kanichi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kanichi 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 - US residents.
Is Kanichi a common name?
We classify Kanichi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Kanichi most popular?
The single biggest year for Kanichi was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kanichi is about 0 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 Kanichi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kanichi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kanichi 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 Kanichi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kanichi 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 Kanichi 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 named Kanichi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Kanichi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.