Nakema
A feminine name of Native American origin meaning "comforter".
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Nakema. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nakema today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nakema births was 1978 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nakema. 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 Nakema. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
1978
14 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1992 SSA rank
#14,790
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Nakema: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nakema 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 44 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
Nakema 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 Nakema during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nakemas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nakema
The name Nakema has its origins in the Native American Sioux language. It is believed to have emerged around the 18th century among the Sioux tribes of the Great Plains region in present-day United States and Canada.
Nakema is derived from the Sioux word "nakama," which means "child" or "daughter." It was likely given as a name to newborn girls within the Sioux tribes, symbolizing the joy and blessing of a new life.
While there are no known historical references to the name Nakema in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various records and accounts of the Sioux people's history and culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nakema dates back to the late 18th century, when a Sioux woman named Nakema was mentioned in the journals of a French explorer who had encountered her tribe during his travels through the Great Plains.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nakema. One such person was Nakema (c. 1820-1890), a respected Sioux medicine woman and healer who was known for her vast knowledge of traditional herbal remedies and her ability to communicate with the spirit world.
Another notable figure was Nakema (c. 1850-1920), a Sioux warrior and leader who played a crucial role in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, where she fought alongside her tribe against the forces of the U.S. Army.
In the early 20th century, Nakema (1900-1985) was a renowned Sioux artist and craftsperson, known for her intricate beadwork and beautiful quillwork designs, which helped preserve and promote the rich cultural traditions of her people.
More recently, Nakema (1945-2010) was a prominent Sioux activist and advocate for Native American rights, who worked tirelessly to raise awareness about issues affecting indigenous communities, such as land rights and cultural preservation.
Nakema (1965-present) is a contemporary Sioux author and poet, whose works explore themes of identity, spirituality, and the modern Native American experience, earning her critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
People
Nakema + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nakema as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nakema: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nakema?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nakema 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 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Nakema a common name?
We classify Nakema as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 75 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nakema most popular?
The single biggest year for Nakema was 1978, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nakema 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 Nakema in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nakema a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nakema 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 Nakema still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nakema 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 Nakema 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 called Nakema?
You can see how many people share the name Nakema on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.