Rising since 2006, #2,833 for boys today.
Popularity of Gohan since 2000
Babies named Gohan per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 92 |
| 2010s | 229 |
| 2020s | 268 |
Meaning & origin
Gohan is a name whose rise in the United States is firmly tied to fandom culture, specifically the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. First recorded in U.S. data in 2000, the name has climbed steadily, ranking 2,833 in 2025 with 1 in 38,820 newborn boys receiving it. Its peak year so far is 2024, and its trajectory has been rising since 2006, reflecting the continued global spread of anime. The name is most popular in Texas and California, states with large populations and diverse naming trends. Despite its Japanese origins, Gohan as a personal name has no historical precedent outside the fictional context; its meaning is therefore derivative of pop culture rather than traditional etymology.
Gohan is a Japanese name that gained prominence through its use as a character in Akira Toriyama's manga and anime series Dragon Ball, first appearing in 1989. While the literal Japanese word 'gohan' means 'rice' or 'meal', the name's use as a personal name was exceptionally rare before the franchise. Its modern usage as a given name is directly tied to the character's popularity, and it does not have a long history of use as a traditional Japanese name.
Where Gohan is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Gohan” around the world
Where Gohan lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
25
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Goh
Sibling names for Gohan
Names that share Gohan's style, for a brother or sister.
