Miki
A feminine Japanese name, often used as a diminutive of Mikiko.
Name Census estimates that about 1,676 living Americans carry the first name Miki. It is a predominantly female name (96.1% of registrations). The average person named Miki today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Miki births was 1974 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Miki. 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.
Key insights
- • Although Miki is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 73 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 204,507 Americans
Peak year
1974
65 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2004 SSA rank
#10,876
Tracked since 1942
Gender
Gender distribution for Miki
Miki leans heavily female at 96.1% of total registrations, but 73 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Miki as a male name
- Ranked #12,589 in 2004
- 5 male births in 2004
- Peak: 1972 (7 births)
Miki as a female name
- Ranked #10,876 in 2023
- 9 female births in 2023
- Peak: 1973 (61 births)
Popularity
Miki: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Miki from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 456 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Miki 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 Miki during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mikis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, Hawaii recorded the most babies named Miki, while Ohio, Texas, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 67 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Miki
The name Miki originated in Japan, where it has been used as a feminine given name for centuries. It is derived from the Japanese word "miki," which means "beautiful and radiant." The name first appeared in written records as early as the 8th century AD, during the Nara period of Japanese history.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Miki was Miki no Tama, a renowned Japanese poet who lived during the Heian period (794-1185 AD). Her poetry was included in the famous imperial anthology called the "Goshui Wakashu," which was compiled in the late 10th century.
In the 12th century, there was a Japanese Buddhist nun named Miki Shonin, who was known for her spiritual teachings and her efforts to promote women's education and empowerment. She is revered in some Buddhist traditions as a bodhisattva, or enlightened being.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), a notable figure named Miki Sakyoku lived in the city of Edo (now Tokyo). She was a skilled musician and composer who helped popularize the traditional Japanese genre of music known as "jiuta."
Another historical figure named Miki was Miki Rokusaburo, a Japanese samurai who lived during the late Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868). He was known for his loyalty and bravery in battle, and his exploits were recorded in various chronicles of the time.
In more recent history, one of the most famous people with the name Miki was Miki Matsu, a Japanese actress and singer who was active in the 1960s and 1970s. She appeared in numerous films and television shows, and her music was popular throughout Japan and other parts of Asia.
People
Miki + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Miki as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Miki: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Miki?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,676 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Miki 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 204,507 US residents.
Is Miki a common name?
We classify Miki as "Rare". It ranks above 92.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,876 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Miki most popular?
The single biggest year for Miki was 1974, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Miki is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Miki a female name?
Yes, 96.1% of people registered as Miki 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.