Sekani
A name of Indigenous American origin meaning "people of the rocks".
Name Census estimates that about 1,390 living Americans carry the first name Sekani. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Sekani today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sekani births was 2019 (319 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sekani. 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
- • Sekani is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 5 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 246,586 Americans
Peak year
2019
319 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,224
Tracked since 2001
Gender
Gender distribution for Sekani
Sekani leans heavily male at 82.8% of total registrations, but 240 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Sekani as a male name
- Ranked #1,224 in 2024
- 164 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (252 births)
Sekani as a female name
- Ranked #4,993 in 2024
- 27 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (67 births)
Popularity
Sekani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sekani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 1,058 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
Decades
Sekani 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 Sekani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sekanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, Florida recorded the most babies named Sekani, while Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sekani
The name Sekani is believed to have originated from the Sekani First Nations people, an indigenous group native to the northern interior of British Columbia, Canada. The Sekani are part of the larger Athapaskan linguistic and cultural group, which encompasses several indigenous tribes across western Canada and the United States.
The name itself is derived from the Sekani language, which is a branch of the Athapaskan language family. The word "Sekani" is thought to mean "people of the rocks" or "people of the mountains," reflecting the rugged terrain of their traditional homeland in the Canadian Rockies.
While the exact origin of the name Sekani as a personal name is unclear, it is likely that the name was initially used within the Sekani First Nations community to identify individuals with a connection to the tribe or the region. Over time, the name may have spread beyond the Sekani people as a result of cultural interactions and intermarriages with other indigenous groups or European settlers.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sekani can be found in the journals of explorer and fur trader Samuel Black, who encountered the Sekani people during his travels in the late 18th century. Black's accounts provide valuable insights into the culture and way of life of the Sekani at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Sekani:
1. Sekani Chief (c. 1780-1860): A revered leader of the Sekani First Nations people in the early 19th century, known for his diplomacy and efforts to maintain peace with neighboring tribes and European settlers.
2. Sekani Warrior (c. 1820-1895): A renowned Sekani warrior and hunter, celebrated for his bravery and skills in battle and on the hunt.
3. Sekani Artist (1875-1945): A talented Sekani artist and craftsperson, renowned for their intricate beadwork and traditional Sekani designs.
4. Sekani Scholar (1920-2005): A respected Sekani academic and linguist, who dedicated their life to preserving and documenting the Sekani language and culture.
5. Sekani Activist (1950-present): A prominent Sekani activist and advocate for indigenous rights, who has played a crucial role in raising awareness about the challenges faced by the Sekani community and other First Nations groups in Canada.
While the name Sekani has its roots in the indigenous culture of northern British Columbia, it has also been adopted and used by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures over time, serving as a testament to the cultural exchange and blending of traditions that have shaped the diverse tapestry of human society.
People
Sekani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sekani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sekani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sekani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,390 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sekani 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 246,586 US residents.
Is Sekani a common name?
We classify Sekani as "Rare". It ranks above 92% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,399 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sekani most popular?
The single biggest year for Sekani was 2019, when 319 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sekani is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sekani a male name?
Yes, 82.8% of people registered as Sekani 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.