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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tanaka

Tanaka

♀ Girl

Pronounced tuh-NAH-kuh /təˈnɑkə/Medium

Meaning: Tanaka is best known as a very common Japanese surname meaning 'dweller in the middle of the rice fields,' from 'ta' (rice paddy) and 'naka' (middle), used here as a given name. It also exists as a Shona (Zimbabwean) name linked to 'we are many' or thriving. Routes here are uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Tanaka is a Japanese surname meaning 'dweller in the rice fields,' used as a given name; it is also a Shona name. Rare, it peaked around 1978 (said tuh-NAH-kuh).
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Origin LowJapanese, Shona
MeaningTanaka is best known as a very common Japanese surname meaning 'dweller in the middle of the rice fields,' from 'ta' (rice paddy) and 'naka' (middle), used here as a given name. It also exists as a Shona (Zimbabwean) name linked to 'we are many' or thriving. Routes here are uncertain.
U.S. rank (2004)#18534 ↘ Falling
2004 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1978
Total births (all-time)≈ 129

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197819722004

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Tanaka comes to American records along two routes: as the well-known Japanese surname for 'the rice field dweller,' and as a Shona given name from Zimbabwe. Used as a first name for girls, its exact source varies by family, so we note both honestly.

It was never common, given to only about sixteen girls a year at its peak around 1978, and stayed rare thereafter. A girl named Tanaka then is in her forties today.

Did you know? Tanaka is one of the most widespread family names in Japan, so as an American given name it reads as a surname repurposed, while in southern Africa it stands on its own as a Shona name.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Tanaka — Japanese surname 'rice-field dweller' as given name; also Shona; romaji

Variations

TanikaTanayaTenaka

Nicknames

TanaNaka

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tanaka…

Tanika— a like Tan- girl's name in sound
Tanaya— a similar soft Tan- coinage
Takara— a related Japanese-flavored name
Tamika— a like rhythmic Tam- name

Explore names like Tanaka

By themerarejapanesesurnameshona

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tanaka mean?

It is a Japanese surname meaning 'dweller in the rice fields,' used as a given name; it is also a Shona name. Routes are uncertain.

How do you pronounce Tanaka?

It is said tuh-NAH-kuh /təˈnɑkə/ - three syllables.

Is Tanaka a boy or girl name?

Here Tanaka is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Tanaka?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen girls a year at its peak in the nineteen-seventies.

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