Kouhei
A masculine Japanese name meaning "respectable" or "excellent."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kouhei. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kouhei today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kouhei births was 1998 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kouhei. 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 Kouhei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1998
5 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
1998 SSA rank
#10,564
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Kouhei: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kouhei 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 Kouhei 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 Kouhei
The given name Kouhei originates from the Japanese language and culture. It is a masculine name that dates back to the Edo period in Japan, which spanned from 1603 to 1868. The name is comprised of two kanji characters: "kou" (行) meaning "to go" or "to walk," and "hei" (平) meaning "peace" or "tranquility."
The earliest recorded usage of the name Kouhei can be traced back to the late Edo period, when it was commonly given to boys born into samurai families. It was believed that the name embodied the virtues of a warrior's journey towards inner peace and harmony.
One of the earliest known historical figures bearing the name Kouhei was Kouhei Tanaka (1835-1912), a prominent educator and philosopher during the Meiji era. He played a significant role in shaping Japan's modern education system and advocating for the integration of Western educational principles with traditional Japanese values.
Another notable figure was Kouhei Ito (1868-1941), a celebrated artist and printmaker who was renowned for his woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes from daily life. His works are considered important examples of the Shin-Hanga art movement.
In the realm of literature, Kouhei Tsurumi (1890-1973) was a renowned novelist and playwright whose works often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class. His novel "The Scorching Wind" (1920) is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern Japanese literature.
Kouhei Matsunaga (1905-1986) was a prominent politician who served as the Minister of Finance and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Japan. He played a crucial role in shaping Japan's post-World War II economic policies and helped guide the country's recovery and growth.
In the field of sports, Kouhei Oshio (1910-1975) was a legendary Japanese baseball player and manager. He was known for his exceptional pitching skills and his contributions to the development of professional baseball in Japan.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Kouhei. The name has maintained its cultural significance and remains a popular choice for Japanese parents, often bestowed with the hope of instilling values of perseverance, peace, and harmony in their sons.
People
Kouhei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kouhei 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
Kouhei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kouhei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kouhei 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 Kouhei a common name?
We classify Kouhei 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 Kouhei most popular?
The single biggest year for Kouhei was 1998, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kouhei is about 28 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 Kouhei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kouhei a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kouhei 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 Kouhei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kouhei 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 Kouhei 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 common is the name Kouhei?
See how many people have the name Kouhei on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.