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Akane 明子 – Japanese girl given name

Akane (明子) is read あかね and has 3 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 明子, the characters mean: bright + child. This reading can be written with at least 171 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 11 to 18 strokes in total.

About the name Akane

Akane is a deep red, the color of madder root (茜), and also the red of a sunset sky. The name feels warm and a little nostalgic.

How to write Akane in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
明子	あかね	bright + child	11
明直	あかね	bright + straightaway	16
明音	あかね	bright + sound	17
安光	あかね	relax + ray	12
明根	あかね	bright + root	18
空音	あかね	empty + sound	17

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Akane

明

bright, light

8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: メイ、ミョウ、ミン Kun: あ、あか、あき

子

child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM, first sign of Chinese zodiac

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: シ、ス、ツ Kun: こ、ね

直

straightaway, honesty, frankness, fix

8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: チョク、ジキ、ジカ Kun: ただ、なお、す

音

sound, noise

9 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: オン、イン、ノン Kun: おと、ね

Akane in different scripts

Romaji	Akane
Hiragana	あかね
Katakana	アカネ
Kanji (most common)	明子

Full name examples

Akane Yuki (Japanese order: 結城明子, ゆうきあかね)
Akane Kono (Japanese order: 河野明子, こうのあかね)
Akane Maki (Japanese order: 牧明子, まきあかね)

How to pronounce Akane

Break it into 3 parts: a · ka · ne. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written あかね.

Questions about Akane

What does Akane mean in Japanese?

Akane has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 明子, combines these meanings: bright + child. Other spellings include 明直 (bright + straightaway), 明音 (bright + sound), 安光 (relax + ray).

How do you write Akane in kanji?

The most common way is 明子 (あかね). It can also be written 明直, 明音, 安光, 明根, 空音.

How do you write Akane in katakana?

Akane is アカネ in katakana and あかね in hiragana.

Is Akane a boy or girl name?

Akane is mostly used for girls.

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Themes: Light and sun Music and sound

Other names that use 明

明: bright, light

Akana 明名 Akemi 明三 Akie 明恵 Akiha 明葉 Akihiko 明彦 Akihiro 明広 Akihisa 明央 Akihito 明一 Akiho 明保 Akika 明加 Akiko 明子 Akimasa 明政

Names with a similar sound

Akana 明名 Akari 灯

Similar first names by meaning

Aeka 和果 Aeri 和理 Ageha 一葉 Ai 愛 Aika 愛香 Aiko 会子 Aina 愛生 Aino 和野