Takeo
A masculine Japanese name meaning "warrior and man" or "falcon hero".
Name Census estimates that about 311 living Americans carry the first name Takeo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Takeo today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takeo births was 1919 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takeo. 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
311
~ 1 in 1,102,104 Americans
Peak year
1919
37 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,747
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Takeo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takeo from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 239 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takeo 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 Takeo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Takeos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Takeo
The name Takeo has its origins in Japanese culture, believed to have first appeared during the Heian period (794-1185 CE). It is derived from the Japanese words "take," meaning "brave" or "valiant," and "o," a honorific suffix. The name carries connotations of strength, courage, and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takeo can be found in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, an anthology of Japanese waka poetry compiled in the 13th century. This work features a poem by Takeo Munemitsu, a prominent poet of the late Heian period.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Takeo. One such figure is Takeo Hirose (1868-1904), a renowned educator and pioneer of modern physical education in Japan. Another is Takeo Miki (1907-1988), a politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of Japan from 1974 to 1976.
In the realm of literature, Takeo Arishima (1878-1923) was a celebrated novelist and playwright, known for his works that explored themes of individualism and social critique. His influential novel, "Aru Onna" (A Certain Woman), published in 1919, is considered a masterpiece of modern Japanese literature.
The name Takeo has also been carried by prominent figures in the arts. Takeo Ishii (1892-1977) was a revered Japanese painter and printmaker, renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes.
Beyond Japan, the name Takeo has also found its way into other cultures. For instance, Takeo Spikes (born 1976) is an American former professional football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) for over a decade.
It is worth noting that while the name Takeo has its roots in Japanese culture, it has transcended borders and gained recognition across the globe, carrying with it the essence of bravery, valor, and strength.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Takeo
People
Takeo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takeo 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
Takeo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takeo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 311 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takeo 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 1,102,104 US residents.
Is Takeo a common name?
We classify Takeo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 763 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takeo most popular?
The single biggest year for Takeo was 1919, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takeo is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takeo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takeo 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.