Rising since 1988, #983 for girls today.
Popularity of Akira since 1913
Babies named Akira per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 0 | 119 |
| 1920s | 0 | 342 |
| 1930s | 0 | 119 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 | 15 |
| 1970s | 50 | 54 |
| 1980s | 288 | 160 |
| 1990s | 955 | 242 |
| 2000s | 2,625 | 367 |
| 2010s | 2,521 | 313 |
| 2020s | 1,378 | 289 |
Meaning & origin
Akira entered U.S. records in 1973 and has been steadily rising in use, particularly since 1988. Its peak popularity came in 2008, and as of 2025, it ranks #983 nationally. The name is given to roughly 1 in every 6,254 babies, making it a distinctive but not unheard-of choice. Its highest usage per capita is found in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arizona, suggesting cultural crossover appeal. Akira's Japanese origin and multiple positive meanings give it a cross-cultural versatility that has fueled its growth in English-speaking countries.
Akira is a Japanese unisex name typically written with one of several kanji, most commonly 明 (meaning 'bright, clear') or 亮 (meaning 'clear, intelligent'). It can also be a masculine name meaning "second-born" or "twin" when written with 晶 (akira, 'crystal') or other characters. The name gained international recognition through director Akira Kurosawa and the 1988 anime film 'Akira'. In the United States, it has been in use since the 1970s, primarily for girls, though in Japan it is used for both sexes.
Where Akira is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Akira” around the world
Where Akira lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
20
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Aki, Kira
Sibling names for Akira
Names that share Akira's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Sakura, Hana, Yuki, Miya, Tori, Midori, Katara, Takara, Kaida, Shizue, Yukiko, Akera, Akeya, Miyoshi, Yasuko, Yoneko, Akaya, Akita, Geisha, Hanya, Katsumi, Matsue, Misao, Oyuki, Setsuko
Brothers: Kenji, Hiro, Takeshi, Sora, Ryo, Raiden, Haru, Hideo, Noboru, Shigeo, Shigeru, Tadashi, Toshio, Haruo, Masaki, Ryu, Sho, Teruo, Hikaru, Isami, Killua, Nobuo, Renji, Takao, Tatsuo
