Akiko
Feminine name of Japanese origin meaning "bright" or "bright child".
Name Census estimates that about 450 living Americans carry the first name Akiko. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Akiko today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Akiko births was 1927 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Akiko. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
450
~ 1 in 761,676 Americans
Peak year
1927
34 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,325
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Akiko: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Akiko from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 184 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Akiko by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Akiko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Akikos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Akiko
The given name Akiko is a Japanese name with a rich cultural history. It originated from the Japanese language and has been in use since ancient times.
The name Akiko is composed of two Japanese characters: "aki" meaning "autumn" or "bright," and "ko" meaning "child." Therefore, the meaning of the name can be interpreted as "bright child" or "child of autumn." This name reflects the Japanese appreciation for nature and the changing seasons.
In ancient Japanese literature and historical records, there are references to individuals with the name Akiko, indicating its long-standing use. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin or the earliest recorded instance of this name due to the vast timeline of Japanese history.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have borne the name Akiko. One of the earliest recorded instances is Akiko Yosano (1878-1942), a prominent Japanese poet and feminist who played a significant role in the late 19th and early 20th-century literary movements in Japan.
Another notable Akiko is Akiko Wakabayashi (1941-2018), a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for her critically acclaimed works that explored social issues and women's experiences in post-war Japan.
In the world of sports, Akiko Omoto (born 1935) is a former Japanese volleyball player who represented Japan in multiple Olympic Games and won gold medals in 1964 and 1976.
Akiko Suzuki (born 1975) is a contemporary Japanese singer and songwriter who has gained popularity for her unique fusion of traditional Japanese music with modern pop and rock genres.
Akiko Wada (born 1965) is a renowned Japanese architect and educator known for her innovative and sustainable architectural designs, blending traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary principles.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals named Akiko throughout history, showcasing the enduring popularity and cultural significance of this Japanese name across various fields and eras.
People
Akiko + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Akiko as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Akiko: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Akiko?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 450 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Akiko going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 761,676 US residents.
Is Akiko a common name?
We classify Akiko as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 778 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Akiko most popular?
The single biggest year for Akiko was 1927, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Akiko is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Akiko a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Akiko in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.