Narae
A feminine Korean name meaning "to be gracious" or "to be kind".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Narae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Narae today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Narae births was 2016 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Narae. 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 Narae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2016
8 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,549
Tracked since 2012
Census
Narae in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 240 people with the first name Narae, which placed it at #34,133 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#34,133
National first-name rank
People counted
240
240 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
76.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narae
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Narae is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and White (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Narae described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Narae at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.7% · 184
- Black or African American9.6% · 23
- White4.6% · 11
- Two or more races4.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Popularity
Narae: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Narae 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 Narae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0 | 13 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Narae
The name Narae is a feminine given name of Korean origin. It is a combination of two words in the Korean language - "na" meaning "I" or "my" and "rae" meaning "coming" or "future." Together, the name Narae can be interpreted to mean "my future" or "the future that belongs to me."
The earliest recorded use of the name Narae dates back to the 20th century in South Korea. While it is a relatively modern name, it carries a deep cultural significance, reflecting the Korean values of aspiration, hope, and a forward-looking mindset.
One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Narae was Narae Hong, a South Korean writer and poet who was born in 1948. Her works explored themes of feminism, social commentary, and the human condition. She was renowned for her poignant and thought-provoking writings and received numerous literary awards throughout her career.
Another notable figure in history with the name Narae was Narae Kim, a South Korean politician who served as a member of the National Assembly from 2004 to 2008. She was an advocate for women's rights and played a crucial role in shaping policies related to gender equality and social justice.
In the field of arts and culture, Narae Park, a South Korean contemporary dancer and choreographer, has made significant contributions. Born in 1981, she is known for her innovative and avant-garde choreographic works that blend traditional Korean dance forms with modern movements.
The name Narae has also found its way into the world of sports. Narae Choi, a South Korean professional golfer born in 1988, has achieved notable success on the LPGA Tour. She has won multiple tournaments and has been a consistent presence on the leaderboards.
Lastly, Narae Lee, a South Korean actress born in 1989, has gained popularity for her roles in various television dramas and films. Her performances have been praised for their depth and emotional resonance, showcasing her versatility as an actor.
These are just a few examples of the historical and cultural significance of the name Narae, which has been carried by individuals who have made remarkable contributions in various fields throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
People
Narae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Narae 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
Narae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Narae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Narae 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Narae a common name?
We classify Narae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Narae most popular?
The single biggest year for Narae was 2016, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Narae is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Narae in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 240 people with the name Narae, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #34,133 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Narae in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Narae?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Narae appears almost entirely female. Of the 235 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Narae?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Narae is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and White (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Narae most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Narae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (184 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Narae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Narae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Narae 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 Narae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Narae 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 Narae 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.
How many people share the name Narae?
Want to know how many people share the name Narae? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.