Girl name · Japanese
Yoko
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)Yoko is a girl's name that comes from Japanese and means "sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Girl
- Letters
- 4
Meaning and origin of Yoko
As a girl's name, Yoko comes from Japanese and means "sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
Its meaning puts Yoko on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Yoko in Japanese
In hiragana, Yoko is ようこ. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 洋子 | ようこ | 洋 ocean, sea + 子 child |
| 陽子 | ようこ | 陽 sun, sunshine + 子 child |
| 葉子 | ようこ | 葉 leaf + 子 child |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Yoko on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Yoko on 3 lists.
“陽子: sunlight child. Bright and familiar”
From Anime girl names, classic anime girl names
“Ocean child; also 陽子, sunny child.”
From Japanese girl names, classic Japanese girl names ending in -ko
“Sun child, written 陽子; Japanese”
From Names that mean sun, sun names for girls
How popular is Yoko?
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #2,682 in 1933
- Most babies: 24 in 1981
- Babies since 1923
- At least 476
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 4 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 6 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 3 per million |
| 2010s | 1 per million |
| 2020s | 1 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,782 | – | – | – | – | #17,577 | – | – | – | – |
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 Yoko
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- YukoGentle child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- YongBrave, when written 勇 (Chinese, unisex)
- YukaGentle flower (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- YukiSnow; happiness (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- LeilaniHeavenly flowers; royal child (Hawaiian, girl)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkikoBright child; autumn child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- ArnavOcean, sea (Sanskrit, boy)
- AtsukoSincere, kind child (Japanese, girl)
- AyakoChild of patterned silk (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- ChenxiMorning sunlight, written 晨曦 (Chinese, unisex)
- ChiyokoChild of a thousand generations (Japanese, girl)
- ChunjaSpring child (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- DeryaSea, ocean (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Yoko
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)
- 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)
- AkiraBright, clear (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AmaneHeavenly sound (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AnApricot (Japanese, girl)
- AoiHollyhock; blue (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Yoko: common questions
What does the name Yoko mean?
Yoko comes from Japanese and means "sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)".
Is Yoko a boy or girl name?
Yoko is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Yoko come from?
Yoko comes from Japanese and means "sunlight child; ocean child (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you write Yoko in Japanese?
Yoko is written ようこ in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 洋子 (ocean + child), 陽子 (sun + child) and 葉子 (leaf + child). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
What names are similar to Yoko?
Names spelled like Yoko include Yuko, Yong, Yuka and Yuki.
What middle names go with Yoko?
Middle names that flow well with Yoko include Belle, Estelle, Evangeline, Linnea and Pearl. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.