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Akiko 明子 – Japanese girl given name

Akiko (明子) is read あきこ 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 245 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 10 to 15 strokes in total.

About the name Akiko

Akiko is written 明子, bright child, or 晶子, crystal child. Both versions give an image of clarity and light.

How to write Akiko in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
明子	あきこ	bright + child	11
章子	あきこ	badge + child	14
昭子	あきこ	shining + child	12
見子	あきこ	see + child	10
発子	あきこ	departure + child	12
開子	あきこ	open + child	15

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

The kanji in Akiko

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

章

badge, chapter, composition, poem

11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: ショウ

昭

shining, bright

9 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: ショウ

Akiko in different scripts

Romaji	Akiko
Hiragana	あきこ
Katakana	アキコ
Kanji (most common)	明子

Full name examples

Akiko Yuki (Japanese order: 結城明子, ゆうきあきこ)
Akiko Kono (Japanese order: 河野明子, こうのあきこ)
Akiko Maki (Japanese order: 牧明子, まきあきこ)

How to pronounce Akiko

Break it into 3 parts: a · ki · ko. 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 あきこ.

Questions about Akiko

What does Akiko mean in Japanese?

Akiko has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 明子, combines these meanings: bright + child. Other spellings include 章子 (badge + child), 昭子 (shining + child), 見子 (see + child).

How do you write Akiko in kanji?

The most common way is 明子 (あきこ). It can also be written 章子, 昭子, 見子, 発子, 開子.

How do you write Akiko in katakana?

Akiko is アキコ in katakana and あきこ in hiragana.

Is Akiko a boy or girl name?

Akiko is mostly used for girls.

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Themes: Light and sun

Other names that use 明

明: bright, light

Akana 明名 Akane 明子 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 Akimasa 明政

Names with a similar sound

Aki 秋 Akie 明恵 Akiha 明葉 Akihiko 明彦 Akihiro 明広 Akihisa 明央 Akihito 明一 Akiho 明保 Akika 明加 Akimasa 明政

Similar first names by meaning

Ageha 一葉 Ai 愛 Akana 明名 Akane 明子 Akari 灯 Akemi 明三 Aki 秋 Akie 明恵