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Very Rare

Mayko

A feminine Japanese name meaning "true child" or "true blessing".

Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Mayko. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mayko today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mayko births was 2012 (6 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Mayko. 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 Mayko. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

12

~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans

Peak year

2012

6 babies that year

Average age

8

years old

2023 SSA rank

#11,755

Tracked since 2012

Popularity

Mayko: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Mayko from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.

Babies born per year

0235620152020

Decades

Mayko 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 Mayko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
2010s606
2020s606

Origin

Meaning and history of Mayko

The name Mayko is believed to have originated from the Japanese language, with roots dating back to the early Edo period in Japan, which spanned from the early 17th century to the mid-19th century. It is thought to be a combination of the Japanese words "ma," meaning "true" or "sincere," and "ko," which is a common suffix used in Japanese names, often associated with the concept of a child or offspring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mayko can be found in the writings of the renowned Japanese poet and scholar, Matsuo Basho, who lived from 1644 to 1694. In his famous haiku anthology, Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Basho mentions a character named Mayko, though the exact context is not entirely clear.

During the Edo period, the name Mayko was primarily associated with women of the geisha community, who were highly trained in traditional Japanese arts and entertainment. Some historical records suggest that Mayko was a relatively common name among geisha during this time, although the exact origins of its popularity within this particular cultural sphere remain uncertain.

One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Mayko was Mayko Iwata, a Japanese woman who lived in the late 18th century and was renowned for her skill in the traditional art of flower arrangement, known as ikebana. Her contributions to the art form were significant, and she is credited with developing several innovative techniques that influenced subsequent generations of ikebana practitioners.

Another prominent individual with the name Mayko was Mayko Fukuda, a Japanese novelist and poet who lived from 1889 to 1957. Fukuda's works explored themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships, and she is regarded as one of the most influential female writers of the early 20th century in Japan.

In more recent times, the name Mayko has been associated with several notable figures in various fields. For example, Mayko Wakamiya, born in 1963, is a renowned Japanese harpist and composer who has performed internationally and has been recognized for her innovative approach to traditional Japanese music.

Mayko Inoue, born in 1979, is a Japanese actress and model who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions. Her versatility and talent have earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated following among Japanese audiences.

It's worth noting that while the name Mayko has its roots in Japanese culture, it has also gained some popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among those with an appreciation for Japanese aesthetics or a interest in the country's rich cultural heritage.

Notable bearers

Famous people named Mayko

People

Mayko + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Mayko as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with M

Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Mayko: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Mayko?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mayko 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 28,562,862 US residents.

Is Mayko a common name?

We classify Mayko as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Mayko most popular?

The single biggest year for Mayko was 2012, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mayko is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Mayko a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mayko 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.

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.

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