Rakai
Boy name · #2277 in 2025 · Uniqueness 43/100
Rakai is currently the #2277 boy name in the United States — 62 babies received it in 2025. It has appeared in the national data since 2006. Roughly one in every 29,032 boys born in 2025 was named Rakai.
Babies named Rakai per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 19-year story
Rakai first appears in the Social Security records in 2006, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 62 babies and a rank of #2258. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rakai against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rakai in class?
Rakai scores 43 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Rakai is most common
Geography matters for names, and Rakai is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Rakais were TX (8), IL (7), FL (5), TN (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Rakai
Statistically, parents drawn to Rakai tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sekai, Xakai, Sakai, Elikai, and Dakai.
SekaiXakaiSakaiElikaiDakaiZakkaiJahkaiJazai
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rakai | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62 | #2258 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3272 |
| 2023 | 38 | #3177 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6147 |
| 2021 | 10 | #7587 |
| 2020 | 6 | #10605 |
| 2019 | 7 | #9756 |
| 2018 | 6 | #10760 |
| 2017 | 8 | #8840 |
| 2006 | 5 | #12055 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rakai a popular boy name?
Rakai ranked #2277 among boys in 2025 with 62 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked outside the reported range.
When was the name Rakai most popular?
Rakai peaked in 2025, when 62 American boys received the name (ranked #2258 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Rakai?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 29,032 newborn American boys was named Rakai. It scores 43/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.