Neko
Feminine Japanese name meaning "cat".
Name Census estimates that about 1,195 living Americans carry the first name Neko. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Neko today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neko births was 2021 (63 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neko. 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
- • Neko is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 18 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 286,824 Americans
Peak year
2021
63 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,028
Tracked since 1968
Gender
Gender distribution for Neko
Neko is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,214 total registrations, 967 (79.7%) were male and 247 (20.3%) were female.
Neko as a male name
- Ranked #4,028 in 2024
- 27 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (55 births)
Neko as a female name
- Ranked #16,932 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (19 births)
Popularity
Neko: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neko from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 443 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Neko remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neko 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 Neko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nekos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Georgia, Florida recorded the most babies named Neko, while Texas, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neko
The name Neko has its origins in the Japanese language, where it literally means "cat." The word "neko" is derived from the Old Japanese word "neko," which was used to refer to felines as early as the 8th century AD. This name's connection to cats likely stems from the deep cultural significance that cats have held in Japanese society for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Neko can be found in the 10th-century Japanese literary work, The Pillow Book, written by Sei Shōnagon. In this work, she mentions a cat named Neko that belonged to a noblewoman at the imperial court. This suggests that the name was already in use as a pet name or nickname for cats during this time period.
Throughout Japanese history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Neko. For instance, Neko Masahiro (1638-1696) was a renowned Japanese poet and calligrapher during the Edo period. Another notable figure was Neko Yoshimune (1717-1751), a samurai warrior and daimyō (feudal lord) who governed the Aizu domain in northern Japan.
In the realm of traditional Japanese arts, Neko Shōhaku (1876-1923) was a celebrated nihonga (Japanese-style) painter known for his depictions of cats and other animals. His works were highly influential in the development of modern Japanese art.
Moving into more recent history, Neko Case (born 1970) is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and musician, known for her powerful vocals and poetic lyrics. While her given name is not of Japanese origin, it is likely a nod to her love for cats, as she is an avid animal rights advocate.
Neko Oikawa (born 1994) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Neko Nitta. She has competed in various promotions, including World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she held the Wonder of Stardom Championship in 2021.
It is worth noting that while the name Neko has a clear connection to felines in Japanese culture, its use as a given name for humans is relatively uncommon, likely due to its literal meaning. However, its enduring presence in Japanese literature, art, and popular culture highlights the name's unique charm and cultural significance.
People
Neko + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neko 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
Neko: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neko?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,195 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neko 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 286,824 US residents.
Is Neko a common name?
We classify Neko as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neko most popular?
The single biggest year for Neko was 2021, when 63 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neko is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Neko a male name?
Yes, 79.7% of people registered as Neko 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.