Akira

Origin and meaning of Akira

Akira is Japanese, unisex, and the meaning depends on the kanji: 昭 and 明 give “bright”, 亮 gives “clear”.

• Japanese明

  akira, “bright, luminous”. The best-known spelling.

• Japanese (variant)昭

  akira, also “bright”, in a more formal register.

• Japanese (variant)亮

  akira, “clear, transparent”.

The question “what does Akira mean?” has no single answer, and that is not evasion. In Japanese, sound and writing are separate layers: the same reading akira can be written with different kanji, and each choice changes the sense. Asking the meaning without knowing the spelling is like asking what “bank” means without knowing river from money.

The three documented spellings circle the same image — light, clarity, brightness — at different temperatures. 明 is the commonest and joins sun and moon in one character. 昭 is more formal. 亮 leans toward transparency.

The filmmaker Akira Kurosawa used 明. It is probably through him, and the 1988 animated film, that the name left Japan.

It is unisex without qualification: the reference work lists it as masculine and feminine. This site listed it as masculine until 21/09, when the entry was corrected — the error only surfaced once the page began answering outright whether it is a boy's or a girl's name.

Which surnames go well with Akira?

We calculate how Akira sounds next to the 6 most common surnames in the English-speaking world. The score runs from 0 to 100 and weighs length contrast, the cadence of the pair and cacophony at the join — a row only gets a comment when there is something specific to point out.

Your surname is not on the list? Type it into the checker above and the score appears at once, with the reason.

Numerology of the name Akira

Every letter in Akira carries a value. Added up, they reveal three numbers describing talents, motivations and the impression the name makes.

Numerology is a symbolic, cultural reading: fun and inspiration, not science.

Sweet nicknames for Akira

Affectionate ways to call Akira every day.