Akari
Akari was the 542nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 554 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,352 places. More babies were named Akari in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning light, brightness (one spelling) · Japanese
Say it ah-KAH-ree /ɑˈkɑri/
- Rank in 2025
- #542 boys, up 1,781 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 554boys
- Girls and boys
- 34% girls, 66% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025554 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,410babies recorded
What does the name Akari mean?
Akari is a Japanese girls' name, as Wikipedia notes. Written in kana, it matches the Japanese word akari, "light, brightness", which Wiktionary derives from the verb akaru, "to become bright". Like most Japanese names it can also be written with different kanji, such as 明里 or 朱莉, and the meaning then depends on the characters chosen. In the US it is given to both girls and boys; the reason for its use for boys is not documented in the sources consulted.
明かり (Japanese, “light, brightness”)明かる (Japanese, “to become bright”)
How sure is this? Probable. The meaning depends on how the name is written; 'light' applies to the kana spelling and to kanji spellings with 明 or 灯.
Pronunciation: Japanese has no strong stress; the three syllables are said evenly, ah-kah-ree.
Related names: Akira.
See also: Japanese names, names that mean light.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry '明かり', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'あかり', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Akari (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Akari popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,881 | #542 | 104 | 554 |
| 2020 | #2,968 | #2,323 | 54 | 58 |
| 2010 | #7,226 | #5,745 | 17 | 15 |
| 2000 | #6,494 | — | 16 | — |
| 1990 | #12,995 | — | 5 | — |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Akari, counting every spelling?
Akari is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #516 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #542 for Akari on its own. Together these spellings went to 584 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akari | 554 | #542 | 890 |
| Acari | 13 | #6,449 | 56 |
| Akarri | 12 | #6,819 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Akari?
554 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Akari (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Akari born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Akari.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Akari?
About 1,300 people born in the US named Akari are alive today, with a median age of 2; half are between 1 and 7. That makes Akari a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Akari by state
How common Akari was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (3.4×), Alabama (2.3×), North Carolina (2.2×), South Carolina (2.1×), Maryland (2.0×). In 22 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Akari: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Akari, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Akari · Sibling names for Akari
Questions about the name Akari
What does Akari mean?
Akari means “light, brightness (one spelling)” (Japanese origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Akari?
Akari was the 542nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 554 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 4,352 places. More babies were named Akari in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Akari a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 34% girls, 66% boys given the name Akari in the US.
Where is Akari most popular?
In 2021–2025, Akari was most common in Mississippi (0.35 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alabama and North Carolina.