How Many People Are Named Akira?
An estimated 8,837 people in the United States have the first name Akira. It is used for both genders, with 79.3% female. The average bearer is 18 years old, and Akira peaked in popularity in 2008 with 453 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Akira as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Akira paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Akira has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
Estimated Living Americans
8,837
About 1 in 38,786 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
79.3% confidence
Average Age
18
years old
Peak Year
2008
453 births
Total Registered
9,523
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Akira
Akira is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (20.7%) and females (79.3%). Out of 9,523 total births registered, 1,968 were male and 7,555 were female.
Akira as a male name
Ranked #2,499 in 2024
54 male births in 2024
Peak: 1927 (54 births)
Akira as a female name
Ranked #955 in 2024
272 female births in 2024
Peak: 2008 (424 births)
Akira in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 7,291 people with the first name Akira, which placed it at #3,041 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Akira was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 7,291 people with this name in that snapshot, 26.4% were male and 73.6% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 79.3% female.
Census Count
7,291
people with this name
Census Rank
#3,041
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
2.41
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Akira was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (39.16%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (23.52%) and Two or More Races (14.42%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Akira in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Akira.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 39.16% | 2,853 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 23.52% | 1,714 |
| Two or More Races | 14.42% | 1,051 |
| White | 11.31% | 824 |
| Hispanic | 10.38% | 756 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.21% | 88 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Akira: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Akira span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 10 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2000s, when 2,992 babies were registered. While Akira is less common than at its peak in the 2000s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Akira by Decade
How has Akira tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Akira by State
Birth registrations for Akira span all 37 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Texas. The lowest are in Oregon, New Mexico, Connecticut. On average, about 177 Akiras were registered per state.
Akira + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Akira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Akira
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Akira: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akira?
We estimate approximately 8,837 people named Akira are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 38,786 Americans share this first name.
Is Akira a common name?
Akira is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 9,523 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Akira most popular?
Akira reached peak popularity in 2008, when 453 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Akira is approximately 18 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Akira in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 7,291 people with the first name Akira. That placed it at #3,041 in the published Census first-name tables, or 2.41 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Akira was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Akira?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Akira was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 26.4% male and 73.6% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Akira?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Akira was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (39.16%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (23.52%) and Two or More Races (14.42%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Akira a female name?
Akira is predominantly female. 79.3% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Akira have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Akira peaked in 2008, and the average living bearer is about 18 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Akira Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Akira Smith, Akira Johnson, Akira Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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