Tanaka
A Japanese surname meaning "middle/center" and "rice field/rice paddy".
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the first name Tanaka. It is a predominantly female name (92.8% of registrations). The average person named Tanaka today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tanaka births was 1976 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tanaka. 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
128
~ 1 in 2,677,768 Americans
Peak year
1976
19 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2005 SSA rank
#13,130
Tracked since 1972
Gender
Gender distribution for Tanaka
Tanaka leans heavily female at 92.8% of total registrations, but 10 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tanaka as a male name
- Ranked #13,130 in 2005
- 5 male births in 2005
- Peak: 1976 (5 births)
Tanaka as a female name
- Ranked #18,534 in 2004
- 5 female births in 2004
- Peak: 1978 (16 births)
Popularity
Tanaka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tanaka from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 101 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tanaka 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 Tanaka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tanaka
The name Tanaka has its origins in Japanese culture, dating back several centuries. It is a combination of the Japanese words "ta" meaning "rice field" and "naka" meaning "middle" or "center." Together, the name Tanaka can be interpreted to mean "in the middle of the rice field."
In ancient Japan, names often reflected one's occupation, location, or connection to nature. The name Tanaka likely originated among farming communities, referring to individuals whose land or home was situated in the midst of rice paddies. It was a common name among the agricultural class during the feudal era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tanaka can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle from the 8th century. The text mentions a court official named Tanaka no Naramaro, who served under Emperor Kammu in the late 700s.
Throughout Japanese history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Tanaka. In the 12th century, Tanaka Yoshiki was a renowned samurai warrior who fought in the Gempei War between the Minamoto and Taira clans. Another prominent figure was Tanaka Kakuei (1918-1993), a influential Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1972 to 1974.
In the realm of literature, Tanaka Kodzo (1865-1952) was a celebrated novelist and poet during the Meiji and Taisho periods. His works, such as "Shunkinsho" and "Kajin no Kigu," explored themes of love, nature, and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
The world of Japanese martial arts also has its share of notable figures named Tanaka. Tanaka Masatoshi (1908-1997) was a renowned master of Shotokan karate, who played a significant role in spreading the art worldwide. Tanaka Yoshinori (1892-1942), on the other hand, was a pioneering judoka and one of the earliest practitioners of judo outside Japan.
While the name Tanaka is commonly used as a surname in modern times, its origins as a given name reflect the deep cultural roots and historical significance it holds in Japanese society.
People
Tanaka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tanaka 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
Tanaka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tanaka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 128 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tanaka 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 2,677,768 US residents.
Is Tanaka a common name?
We classify Tanaka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 139 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tanaka most popular?
The single biggest year for Tanaka was 1976, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tanaka is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tanaka a female name?
Yes, 92.8% of people registered as Tanaka 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.