Girl name · Japanese
Akari
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lamplight (depends on characters)Akari is a girl's name that comes from Japanese and means "lamplight (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Lamplight (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- ah-KAH-ree
Meaning and origin of Akari
As a girl's name, Akari comes from Japanese and means "lamplight (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
Say it ah-KAH-ree. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Akari in Japanese
In hiragana, Akari is あかり. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 灯 | あかり | 灯 lamp, light |
| 朱里 | あかり | 朱 vermilion + 里 village |
| 明理 | あかり | 明 bright, light + 理 reason, logic |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Akari on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Akari on 3 lists.
“灯: lamplight. Warm and welcoming”
From Anime girl names, popular modern anime girl names
“Lamplight; also 明里, bright village. Meaning depends on kanji.”
From Japanese girl names, modern Japanese girl names
“Light, lamplight (灯 is one spelling); Japanese. Say ah-KAH-ree”
From Names that mean fire, names that mean lamp, candle and torch
How popular is Akari?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,881
- 104 babies, 65 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,813 in 2023
- 111 babies that year
- Babies since 1990
- At least 1,132
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 3 per million |
| 2000s | 10 per million |
| 2010s | 22 per million |
| 2020s | 53 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,928 | #4,067 | #2,748 | #3,669 | #2,968 | #2,716 | #2,446 | #1,813 | #1,871 | #1,881 |
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 Akari
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AmariMeaning uncertain, perhaps from Arabic Ammar (Arabic, unisex)
- AmaraGrace (Igbo, girl)
- AriA lion (Hebrew, unisex)
- AfarinBravo, praise (Persian, girl)
- AgapiLove, affection (Greek, girl)
- AkachiThe hand of God (Igbo, unisex)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
Middle names for Akari
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- BriarThorny shrub (Old English, unisex)
- BrookeSmall stream (Old English, girl)
- ClementineMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- MarigoldMary's gold (English, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- SophiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
More girl names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkikoBright child; autumn child (depends on characters) (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)
Akari: common questions
What does the name Akari mean?
Akari comes from Japanese and means "lamplight (depends on characters)".
Is Akari a boy or girl name?
Akari is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 104 girls and 554 boys in the US were named Akari, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Akari come from?
Akari comes from Japanese and means "lamplight (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Akari?
Say ah-KAH-ree. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Akari in Japanese?
Akari is written あかり in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 灯 (lamp), 朱里 (vermilion + village) and 明理 (bright + reason). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Akari?
Akari ranked #1,881 in the US in 2025, with 104 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Akari?
Names spelled like Akari include Amari, Amara, Ari, Afarin and Agapi.
What middle names go with Akari?
Middle names that flow well with Akari include Blair, Briar, Brooke, Clementine and Isabel. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.