Keiko
Keiko is a feminine Japanese name meaning "respectful child".
Name Census estimates that about 986 living Americans carry the first name Keiko. It is a predominantly female name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Keiko today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keiko births was 1995 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keiko. 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.
People living today
986
~ 1 in 347,621 Americans
Peak year
1995
31 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,507
Tracked since 1922
Gender
Gender distribution for Keiko
Out of the 1,160 babies given the name Keiko since 1880, 99.4% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Keiko as a male name
- Ranked #10,375 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (7 births)
Keiko as a female name
- Ranked #5,507 in 2024
- 23 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1995 (31 births)
Popularity
Keiko: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keiko from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 182 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Keiko remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keiko 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 Keiko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keikos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Keiko
The name Keiko is of Japanese origin, derived from the combination of the Japanese words "kei," meaning "blessing" or "respect," and "ko," meaning "child." It is a popular name in Japan, often given to baby girls with the hope that they will be blessed and respected throughout their lives.
The earliest recorded use of the name Keiko dates back to the Heian period in Japan, which spanned from 794 to 1185 AD. During this time, the name appeared in various literary works and historical records, reflecting its cultural significance and popularity among the noble class.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Keiko was Keiko Fukuda (1913-1998), a Japanese feminist and political activist who played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement in Japan. She was a prominent figure in the fight for gender equality and worked tirelessly to secure voting rights for women in the country.
Another famous Keiko was Keiko Sato (1954-2017), a renowned Japanese actress who achieved international recognition for her roles in various films and television series. She was particularly celebrated for her performances in the films "Dolls" (2002) and "The Mourning Forest" (2007), earning critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Keiko Tanaka (born 1932) is a Japanese artist and ceramicist who has made significant contributions to the field of Japanese pottery. Her intricate and detailed ceramics have been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, and she has received numerous accolades for her exceptional craftsmanship.
Keiko Abe (born 1937) is a pioneering Japanese percussion soloist and composer who has played a pivotal role in popularizing the marimba as a solo instrument. She has performed with major orchestras worldwide and has composed numerous works for percussion instruments, earning her a place among the most influential percussionists of the 20th century.
Keiko Hatano (1922-2008) was a Japanese writer and translator known for her literary works that explored themes of identity, cultural displacement, and the experience of Japanese immigrants in Brazil. Her novel "The Remains" (1967) received critical acclaim and established her as a prominent voice in Japanese literature.
Throughout history, the name Keiko has been associated with various notable individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, literature, politics, and cultural spheres, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of this Japanese name.
People
Keiko + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keiko 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
Keiko: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keiko?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 986 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keiko 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 347,621 US residents.
Is Keiko a common name?
We classify Keiko as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,160 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keiko most popular?
The single biggest year for Keiko was 1995, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keiko is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keiko a female name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Keiko 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.
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.