Mirai
A feminine Japanese name meaning "future" or "the future".
Name Census estimates that about 400 living Americans carry the first name Mirai. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mirai today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mirai births was 2020 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mirai. 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
400
~ 1 in 856,886 Americans
Peak year
2020
45 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,723
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Mirai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mirai from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 181 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
Mirai 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 Mirai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mirais live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Mirai, while Washington, New Jersey, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mirai
The name Mirai is of Japanese origin, derived from the Japanese word "mirai" which means "future" or "to come." It is a relatively modern name, having gained popularity in Japan in the late 20th century.
The name Mirai is not found in ancient Japanese texts or historical records. It is a neologism, a newly coined word that reflects the contemporary Japanese fascination with futuristic concepts and technological advancements. The name symbolizes hope, progress, and a forward-looking perspective.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mirai was Mirai Suzuki, a Japanese actress born in 1976. She is known for her roles in various television dramas and films, including "Gokusen" and "Bayside Shakedown."
Another notable individual named Mirai is Mirai Navrátil, a Japanese-Czech composer and musician born in 1982. He is known for his work in the field of contemporary classical music and has composed several orchestral and chamber works.
In the world of sports, Mirai Nagasu (born 1993) is a Japanese-American figure skater who made history by becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Mirai Kawana (born 1995) is a Japanese actress and model who has appeared in various television dramas and films, such as "The Kodai Family" and "The Promised Neverland."
Mirai Uchida (born 1986) is a Japanese professional tennis player who has achieved success on the WTA Tour, winning several singles and doubles titles throughout her career.
While the name Mirai is predominantly used in Japan, it has also gained some popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among individuals of Japanese descent or those with an interest in Japanese culture. The name's positive connotation and forward-looking symbolism have contributed to its appeal across different cultures.
People
Mirai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mirai 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
Mirai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mirai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 400 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mirai 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 856,886 US residents.
Is Mirai a common name?
We classify Mirai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 403 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mirai most popular?
The single biggest year for Mirai was 2020, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mirai is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mirai a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mirai 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.