Fun Facts About the Name Goku
- 129 babies named Goku: U.S. records list 129 babies given the name Goku from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Goku Mean?
Goku is the Japanese reading of the Chinese name and Buddhist term 悟空 (Wukong). It is built from two elements: 悟 (Chinese wù, Japanese go), meaning "to awaken, realize, or become aware," and 空 (Chinese kōng, Japanese kū), meaning "empty, void," and also "sky." Together the elements give the sense "awakened to emptiness" or "aware of the void," a reference to śūnyatā, the Buddhist concept of emptiness. In Japanese the final vowel is long, so the name is written Gokū; English normally drops the length mark and writes Goku.
Goku Name History & Origins
The compound 悟空 was in use as a Buddhist monastic name in China long before it became a famous fictional one. The Tang-dynasty monk Wukong, an eighth-century pilgrim who traveled from China to India and studied there, is recorded under this name. Its best-known literary appearance is in the Ming-dynasty novel Journey to the West, where the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, is given the name by his teacher.
Japan absorbed the story and the name through centuries of contact with Chinese Buddhism and Chinese literature, and the Japanese reading Gokū appears in Japanese retellings of Journey to the West. The name is chiefly familiar in modern Japan through that storytelling tradition and its adaptations. Akira Toriyama's manga Dragon Ball, which began in 1984, gave its main character the name Son Goku, taken from the Monkey King, and the series is widely known internationally under the spelling Goku.
How Popular is the Name Goku?
Goku has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2020. Its best rank was #4,756 in 2020.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,034 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,355 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #12,854 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #6,963 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #7,267 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #4,756 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #10,101 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #6,474 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #5,362 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #6,472 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #9,906 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #7,203 | 11 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Goku Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are introspective, prophetic, philosophical, and soul searching, but also can be analytical, critical and opinionated. You think deeply and clearly, have an air of mystery, can be solitary and secretive. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Goku's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Goku's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.