Asahi
A Japanese name meaning "morning sun" or "rising sun".
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the first name Asahi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Asahi today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Asahi births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Asahi. 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
107
~ 1 in 3,203,312 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,268
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Asahi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Asahi from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 58 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Asahi 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 Asahi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Asahis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Asahi
The name Asahi finds its origins in the Japanese language, with its roots dating back to ancient times. The word "asahi" itself translates to "morning sun" or "rising sun," reflecting the cultural significance of the sun in Japanese tradition.
Historically, the name Asahi has been associated with the Shinto religion, which reveres the sun as a sacred entity. In some ancient Japanese texts and folklore, the name appears as a reference to the sun goddess Amaterasu, who is celebrated as the progenitor of the imperial lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Asahi can be found in the Kojiki, an ancient Japanese chronicle dating back to the early 8th century. This historical text mentions individuals bearing the name, suggesting its usage at least as far back as the Nara period (710-794 CE).
Throughout Japanese history, several notable figures have carried the name Asahi. One such individual was Asahi no Naishi (active in the late 12th century), a renowned female poet who contributed to the famous imperial poetry anthology known as the Senzai Wakashū.
Another prominent figure was Asahi Heishirō (1891-1975), a Japanese writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary movement known as "Shinkō Geijutsu" (New Art Movement) in the early 20th century. His works often explored themes of nature and spirituality.
In the realm of sports, Asahi Tsuruta (1904-1985) was a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter who helped popularize professional wrestling in Japan during the mid-20th century. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Japanese wrestling.
Moving on to more recent times, Asahi Breweries is a prominent Japanese company known for its iconic Asahi Super Dry beer. Although not a person, the company's name serves as a reminder of the enduring cultural significance of the word "asahi" in Japan.
Another noteworthy individual was Asahi Konno (1923-2004), a Japanese actress and singer who gained popularity in the post-World War II era. She appeared in numerous films and television shows, leaving a lasting impact on the Japanese entertainment industry.
People
Asahi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Asahi 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
Asahi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Asahi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 107 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Asahi 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 3,203,312 US residents.
Is Asahi a common name?
We classify Asahi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Asahi most popular?
The single biggest year for Asahi was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Asahi is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Asahi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Asahi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Asahi in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Asahi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Asahi in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Asahi can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Asahi?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.