The first name Akira
A unisex name from Japanese.
3 syllables Unisex
Meaning and origin
Japanese origin
Borrowed from Japanese あきら (Akira).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 26 girls were named Akira, making it the 1,229th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 51 births (#760).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Akira with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Akira at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 257 girls born in the United States were named Akira, the 983rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2008, when 424 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Akira
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Akira IriyeAmerican historian (1934-2026)
More Japanese unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Akira mean?
- Borrowed from Japanese あきら (Akira).
- What is the origin of the name Akira?
- Borrowed from Japanese あきら (Akira).
- How popular is the name Akira?
- In 2025, 26 girls born in England and Wales were named Akira, ranking 1,229th. Its peak was 2015, with 51 births.
- Is Akira a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 9,837 US babies named Akira since 1880, 79% were girls and 21% boys.
- When was Akira most popular?
- 2008 in the United States, when 424 babies were named Akira, its highest rank at 707th.