Akira Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does Akira Mean?

The name Akira means “sunlight,” but it can mean different things depending on the kanji, or Japanese characters ⁽¹⁾. For example, you can combine two other characters for “sun” and “moon” to mean “the light from the sun,” “bright,” “wisdom,” “truth,” or “intelligent.

What Is the Origin of the Name Akira?

Akira is a Japanese name, though it also has Arabic roots.

How Popular Is the Name Akira?

The name Akira has seen growing popularity in the United States throughout the twentieth century, but it is not too well-known. In 2021, it was the 1193rd most popular girl’s name and the 2895th most popular boy’s name, meaning that 201 girls and 42 boys got the name Akira ⁽²⁾.

How Do I Pronounce Akira?

You pronounce the name Akira like “AH-kee-rah,” emphasizing the first syllable.

Is Akira a Boy or Girl Name?

You can give the name Akira to both girls and boys, but people mostly use it for boys.

Variations of Akira

There are not too many variations of the name Akira, but maybe you would like to try one of them out on your child. These include:

• Akeara: Japanese, meaning “bright, clear, ideal.”
• Akera: Thai, meaning “sun.”
• Akeri: Japanese, meaning “hope.”
• Akeira: Japanese, meaning “powerful.”
• Akiera: Japanese, meaning “morning sun.”
• Akirah: Arabic, meaning “gentle flower.”
• Akiria: Japanese, meaning “bright.”
• Akyra: Japanese, meaning “bright and clear.”

Nicknames for Akira

Akira is a pretty musical name with plenty of chances for cute nicknames. Such fun names for your Akira can include:

• Kee
• Keke
• Kiki
• Kiko
• Kira

Similar Names to Akira

Maybe you like the name Akira, but it might be too familiar a name for your child. If you are looking for something similar to Akira, you can choose from names like these:

• Akiro
• Atemu
• Hikaru
• Hiro
• Hiroshi
• Hiroto
• Icharu
• Jun
• Kazuki
• Koji
• Ohara
• Ozuru
• Michiko
• Midori
• Miki
• Ryo
• Sen
• Tazu
• Yui
• Yukio

Middle Names for Akira

The name Akira gives you a great chance to play with different sounds, but some of our favorite middle names for Akira include:

• Alex
• Blair
• Colina
• Daniel
• Davy
• Dylan
• Edina
• Ivy
• June
• Luc
• Mae
• Miguel
• Opal
• Plum
• Rain
• Rose
• Sage
• Troy
• Ty
• Vale

Sibling Names for Akira

Akira goes great with one or several sibling names. It was hard to narrow down our favorites for brothers and sisters, but our lists are below.

For a sister:

• Amaya
• Asuna
• Chikara
• Erisa
• Hatsumi
• Kiria
• Lisanna
• Midori
• Nanako
• Nozomi
• Raveena
• Reia
• Sakura
• Setsumi
• Shanti
• Shigeko
• Skirayuki
• Tashiana
• Yui
• Yukiko

For a brother:

• Akihiko
• Daichi
• Hachiro
• Hirohisa
• Isao
• Junpei
• Kaname
• Kazuki
• Kazuma
• Keizo
• Koji
• Kuro
• Otani
• Sakamoto
• Satoshi
• Shigeo
• Shinji
• Takeru
• Takuma
• Yashiro

Famous People Named Akira

Given Akira’s popularity in Japan, you can probably name a few Akiras for yourself. Some famous Akiras you know can include names like:

• Akira Akao: Japanese footballer.
• Akira Disaro: Japanese footballer.
• Akira Haraguchi: Japanese mental health counselor.
• Akira Ibayashi: Japanese footballer.
• Akira Ioane: Japanese rugby player.
• Akira Ishida: Japanese voice actor.
• Akira Jimno: Japanese jazz fusion drummer.
• Akira Kajiyama: Japanese guitarist.
• Akira Kamiya: Japanese voice actor.
• Akira Kanbe: manga artist.
• Akira Kawashima: Japanese comedian and actor
• Akira Komoto: Japanese artist.
• Akira Liu: Chinese rapper, dancer, and singer.
• Akira Machida: head of the Japanese Supreme Court.
• Akira Mikazuki: Japanese politician and scholar.
• Akira Sakata: Japanese free jazz saxophonist.
• Akira Sasanuma: Japanese voice actor.
• Akira Sekine: Japanese voice actress.
• Akira Shoji: Japanese mixed martial artist.
• Akira Takarada: Japanese actor.

Akira in Popular Culture

Once again, we have a situation where there are too many fictional Akiras to name. We will do our best to narrow the list down to our favorites, so here they are:

• Akira: the title character of “Akira.”
• Akira: a character from “The Simpsons.”
• Akira Asaba: a character in “Magical Trans!”
• Akira Fudo: the main character in “Devilman.”
• Akira Himi (Aqua Current): a character in the novel “Accel World.”
• Akira Inugami (Wolf): a character in the manga “Wolf Guy.”
• Akira Kogami: a character in the “Lucky Star” franchise.
• Akira Kogane (Beast): a character from “Voltron: Defender of the Universe.”
• Akira Kurusu: the protagonist from the manga version of “Persona 5.”
• Akira Mado: a character from the “Tokyo Ghoul” manga series.
• Akira Nijino: a character from “Ressha Sentai ToQger.”
• Akira Okochi: a character from “Negima!: Magister Negi Magi.”
• Akira Rai: a character from “Jab Tak Hai Jaan.”
• Akira Sendoh: a character from the “Slam Dunk” manga.
• Akira Sohma: a character from “Fruits Basket.”
• Akira Tachibana: the protagonist from the “After the Rain” manga.
• Akira Takizawa: a character from the “Eden of the East” anime.
• Akira Toudou: a character from the “World’s End Harem” manga series.
• Akira Yamabuki: a character from the “Beyblade Burst” anime series.
• Akira Yuki: a character from the “Virtua Fighter” universe.

Akira FAQs

There’s always something new to learn about every name, so let’s look at some commonly asked questions about Akira.