Girl name · Japanese
Aiko
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: beloved child (depends on characters)Aiko is a girl's name that comes from Japanese and means "beloved child (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Beloved child (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- EYE-koh
Meaning and origin of Aiko
As a girl's name, Aiko comes from Japanese and means "beloved child (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
Say it EYE-koh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Aiko on our names that mean love list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Aiko in Japanese
In hiragana, Aiko is あいこ. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 愛子 | あいこ | 愛 love, affection + 子 child |
| 藍子 | あいこ | 藍 indigo + 子 child |
| 亜依子 | あいこ | 亜 next, second + 依 depend on; also used for its sound + 子 child |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Aiko on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Aiko on 3 lists.
“愛子: beloved child. Sweet and timeless”
From Anime girl names, classic anime girl names
“Beloved child; also the name of the emperor's daughter.”
From Japanese girl names, japanese girl names meaning love, hope and kindness
“Love and child, written 愛子; Japanese. Say EYE-koh”
From Names that mean love, girl names that mean love
How popular is Aiko?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,720
- 63 babies, 39 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,155 in 1919
- Most babies: 77 in 2023
- Babies since 1912
- At least 1,785
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 16 per million |
| 1920s | 26 per million |
| 1930s | 10 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 3 per million |
| 1980s | 3 per million |
| 1990s | 7 per million |
| 2000s | 17 per million |
| 2010s | 17 per million |
| 2020s | 39 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,288 | #5,519 | #4,460 | #3,337 | #2,892 | #3,069 | #2,856 | #2,353 | #2,389 | #2,720 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Aiko
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AkikoBright child; autumn child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AnkeFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AinaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ÁineRadiance, splendor (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AyakoChild of patterned silk (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AyoJoy (Yoruba, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- AzizPowerful, respected, beloved (Arabic, boy)
- FridaPeace; in Old Norse, beloved (Germanic and Old Norse, girl)
- AmadoBeloved (Latin, boy)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- DaveyBeloved (Hebrew, boy)
- DavinaBeloved one (Hebrew, girl)
- DilaraAdorner of the heart; beloved (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Aiko
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiraBright, clear (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AmaneHeavenly sound (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AnApricot (Japanese, girl)
- AoiHollyhock; blue (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AsahiMorning sun, written 朝日 (Japanese, unisex)
- AsamiMorning beauty (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
Aiko: common questions
What does the name Aiko mean?
Aiko comes from Japanese and means "beloved child (depends on characters)".
Is Aiko a boy or girl name?
Aiko is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 63 girls and 13 boys in the US were named Aiko, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Aiko come from?
Aiko comes from Japanese and means "beloved child (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Aiko?
Say EYE-koh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Aiko in Japanese?
Aiko is written あいこ in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 愛子 (love + child), 藍子 (indigo + child) and 亜依子 (next + depend on + child). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Aiko?
Aiko ranked #2,720 in the US in 2025, with 63 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Aiko?
Names spelled like Aiko include Akiko, Anke, Aimi, Aina and Áine.
What middle names go with Aiko?
Middle names that flow well with Aiko include Isabel, Isabella, Louise, Prudence and Seraphina. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.