Taisei
A masculine Japanese name meaning "great" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 153 living Americans carry the first name Taisei. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Taisei today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taisei births was 2010 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taisei. 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
153
~ 1 in 2,240,224 Americans
Peak year
2010
12 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,666
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Taisei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Taisei from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 75 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Taisei 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 Taisei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taiseis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Taisei
Taisei is a Japanese given name with origins dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Japanese words "tai," meaning "great" or "large," and "sei," meaning "life" or "world." Together, these words combine to form the meaning "great life" or "great world."
In Japanese culture, the name Taisei has been associated with ideas of greatness, prosperity, and longevity. It was often given to children with the hope that they would live a long and prosperous life, achieving great things and making a significant impact on the world around them.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Taisei can be found in the Nihon Shoki, an ancient Japanese chronicle from the 8th century. In this text, Taisei is mentioned as the name of a prince during the reign of Emperor Ojin, who ruled in the 4th century.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable figures have borne the name Taisei. One of the most famous was Taisei Deshimaru (1914-1982), a renowned Zen Buddhist teacher who played a significant role in introducing Zen Buddhism to the West. He established several Zen centers and authored numerous books on Zen practice and philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the name Taisei was Taisei Makihara (1932-2019), a Japanese businessman and philanthropist. He served as the chairman of the Mitsubishi Corporation and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of the Taisei Makihara Foundation, which supports various educational and cultural initiatives.
In the realm of sports, Taisei Kikumura (1920-2011) was a Japanese baseball player and manager who played for the Yomiuri Giants and later served as the team's manager. He led the Giants to numerous championships and is considered one of the most influential figures in Japanese professional baseball.
Another notable figure was Taisei Yamada (1919-2012), a Japanese painter and calligrapher. He was renowned for his innovative approach to traditional Japanese calligraphy and his contributions to the development of modern Japanese art.
Taisei Koga (1985-), a Japanese mixed martial artist and former Olympic judoka, is another individual who carries this name. He has competed in various prestigious MMA organizations, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Taisei, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of Japanese culture and society.
People
Taisei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taisei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Taisei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taisei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 153 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taisei 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 2,240,224 US residents.
Is Taisei a common name?
We classify Taisei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 155 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taisei most popular?
The single biggest year for Taisei was 2010, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taisei is about 15 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 Taisei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Taisei a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taisei 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.
Is Taisei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Taisei 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 Taisei 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 named Taisei?
Find out how many people have the name Taisei on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.