Yakina
A feminine Japanese name meaning "reason" or "truth".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Yakina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yakina today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yakina births was 1978 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yakina. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yakina. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1978
5 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1987 SSA rank
#13,224
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Yakina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yakina from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 5 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
Yakina 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 Yakina 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 Yakina
The name Yakina has its origins in the Native American Abenaki language, spoken by the Abenaki people who inhabited parts of present-day New England and eastern Canada. The name is believed to have emerged sometime in the 17th century, derived from the Abenaki word "yakini," meaning "she walks."
Yakina was likely a name given to newborn girls in the Abenaki tribes, signifying their journey into the world and the path they would take in life. The name's connection to walking and movement may have been symbolic of the nomadic lifestyle of the Abenaki people, who would often travel and relocate based on the seasons and availability of resources.
While the name Yakina does not appear to have been recorded in any major historical texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various records and accounts of the Abenaki people throughout the centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in 1682, when a young Abenaki woman named Yakina was mentioned in a French missionary's journal, describing her involvement in a tribal ceremony.
Over the years, several notable individuals have borne the name Yakina. One such person was Yakina Ween (1865-1939), a renowned basket weaver and artist from the Penobscot Nation, whose intricate and beautifully crafted baskets are now displayed in museums across the United States. Another was Yakina Willard (1892-1978), a respected elder and storyteller from the Maliseet tribe, who played a crucial role in preserving and passing down her people's oral traditions and cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, Yakina Black Hawk (1830-1911) was a prominent figure among the Sauk and Fox tribes. She was known for her activism and advocacy for Native American rights, and was a vocal opponent of the forced relocation policies implemented by the United States government. Yakina's activism inspired many others to fight for their land and rights.
More recently, Yakina Thomas (1920-2005) was a celebrated artist and sculptor from the Mohawk Nation. Her works, which often depicted scenes from Native American life and culture, were exhibited in galleries across North America and earned her numerous awards and accolades throughout her career.
The name Yakina has also been carried by Yakina Eder (1955-present), a respected educator and advocate for Native American education. Eder has dedicated her life to promoting cultural awareness and improving educational opportunities for Indigenous communities, serving as a role model and inspiration for countless students and educators.
People
Yakina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yakina as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yakina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yakina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yakina 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Yakina a common name?
We classify Yakina as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yakina most popular?
The single biggest year for Yakina was 1978, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yakina is about 45 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 Yakina in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yakina a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yakina 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.
Is Yakina still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yakina 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 Yakina 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 share the name Yakina?
Want to know how many people share the name Yakina? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.