Unisex name · Japanese
Hikari
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: light, radianceHikari is a gender-neutral name that comes from Japanese and means "light, radiance". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Light, radiance
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #11293 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Hikari
As a gender-neutral name, Hikari comes from Japanese and means "light, radiance". It is used in Japanese.
Its meaning puts Hikari on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Hikari in Japanese
In hiragana, Hikari is ひかり. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 光 | ひかり | 光 light |
| 光里 | ひかり | 光 light + 里 village |
| 晶 | ひかり | 晶 crystal, sparkle |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Hikari on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Hikari on 3 lists.
“光: light. Radiant and hopeful”
From Anime girl names, anime girl names from sky, sea and seasons
“Light, radiance; also used for boys.”
From Japanese girl names, japanese nature names: sky, sea and seasons
“Light, written 光; Japanese, for girls and boys”
From Names that mean light, unisex names that mean light
How popular is Hikari?
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #11,293
- 8 babies, 5 per million girls
- Best rank
- #6,258 in 2021
- Most babies: 19 in 2018
- Babies since 1993
- At least 277
- 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 | 2 per million |
| 2000s | 3 per million |
| 2010s | 6 per million |
| 2020s | 9 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,028 | #8,009 | #6,354 | #6,528 | #7,708 | #6,258 | #7,095 | #8,663 | #7,053 | #11,293 |
As a boy’s name
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #12,931 in 2023
- 5 babies that year
- Babies since 2023
- At least 5
- 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 | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 0 per million |
| 2010s | 0 per million |
| 2020s | 0 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | #12,931 | – | – |
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.
Other forms of Hikari
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- HikaruLight, radiance (Japanese, unisex)
Names spelled like Hikari
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- HimariSun and hollyhock (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- HariTawny; a name of Vishnu (Sanskrit, boy)
- HilarioCheerful (Latin, boy)
- HilaryCheerful, happy (Latin, unisex)
- HiyoriFine weather, a calm sunny day (Japanese, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- LuciaLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
- LucianaLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
- LucianoLight, brightness (Latin, boy)
- LucyLight, brightness (Latin, girl)
- NoorLight, radiance (Arabic, unisex)
- UrielGod is my light (Hebrew, boy)
- AbnerMy father is light (Hebrew, boy)
- LuceLight (Latin, girl)
- LucilleLight (Latin, girl)
- NuriMy light (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Hikari
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- KaiSea (Japanese, boy)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AkihikoBright prince (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkihiroBright and wide (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Hikari: common questions
What does the name Hikari mean?
Hikari comes from Japanese and means "light, radiance".
Is Hikari a boy or girl name?
Hikari is used for both boys and girls.
Where does the name Hikari come from?
Hikari comes from Japanese and means "light, radiance". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you write Hikari in Japanese?
Hikari is written ひかり in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 光 (light), 光里 (light + village) and 晶 (crystal). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Hikari?
Hikari ranked #11,293 in the US in 2025, with 8 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Hikari?
Forms of Hikari with the same meaning and origin include Hikaru (Japanese).
What middle names go with Hikari?
Middle names that flow well with Hikari include Anne, Beau, Chase, David and Jude. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.