Pakou
A South Pacific feminine name meaning "water flower" or "ocean bloom".
Name Census estimates that about 143 living Americans carry the first name Pakou. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pakou today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pakou births was 1994 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pakou. 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.
People living today
143
~ 1 in 2,396,883 Americans
Peak year
1994
21 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2006 SSA rank
#16,620
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Pakou: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pakou from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 103 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pakou 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 Pakou during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pakous live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Pakou, while Wisconsin, Minnesota, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pakou
The name Pakou has its origins in the Central African region, specifically in the language of the Ngbaka people, an ethnic group primarily located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Derived from the Ngbaka word "pakou," which means "born during the rainy season," this name reflects the deep connection between the Ngbaka people and their natural environment.
In the 16th century, European explorers and missionaries began documenting the various ethnic groups and languages of Central Africa, including the Ngbaka. Although no specific ancient texts or religious scriptures have been found referencing the name Pakou, it is believed to have been in use among the Ngbaka people for centuries before written records.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Pakou was a Ngbaka chief who lived in the late 18th century. His name was Pakou Ndoki, and he was renowned for his leadership and diplomatic skills in negotiations with neighboring tribes.
In the 19th century, a famous Ngbaka warrior named Pakou Mboli played a pivotal role in defending his people against the encroaching slave traders from the north. His bravery and military tactics were celebrated in oral traditions and folk songs of the Ngbaka.
During the Belgian colonial period in the early 20th century, a Ngbaka woman named Pakou Linganga gained recognition for her expertise in traditional herbal medicine and her dedication to preserving the cultural practices of her people.
In the realm of literature, Pakou Loemba, a Ngbaka poet and writer born in 1925, made significant contributions to the preservation of the Ngbaka language and oral traditions through his published works.
Another notable figure was Pakou Mputu, a Ngbaka artist born in 1930, whose intricate wood carvings and masks captured the essence of Ngbaka cultural symbolism and gained international acclaim in the latter half of the 20th century.
While the name Pakou is primarily associated with the Ngbaka people of Central Africa, its meaning and cultural significance have transcended geographical boundaries, inspiring individuals from diverse backgrounds to embrace this name as a reflection of their connection to the natural world and the rich heritage of the African continent.
People
Pakou + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pakou as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pakou: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pakou?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 143 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pakou 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 2,396,883 US residents.
Is Pakou a common name?
We classify Pakou as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 148 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pakou most popular?
The single biggest year for Pakou was 1994, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pakou is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pakou a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pakou 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.
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.