Fun Facts About the Name Akina
- 531 babies named Akina: U.S. records list 531 babies given the name Akina from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Akina Mean?
Akina is a Japanese feminine given name, and its meaning depends on the kanji chosen to write it. Japanese given names are usually written with characters selected by the family, so one sound can carry several different meanings, and a single "true" meaning does not exist in the way it does for, say, a biblical name.
The most familiar spelling is 明菜, from aki 明, "bright, clear," and na 菜, "greens, edible greens." Translated literally, that spelling is "bright greens." Other common spellings give different senses: 秋菜, with 秋 "autumn," reads as "autumn greens"; 晶菜 pairs 晶 "sparkle, crystal" with 菜; and forms such as 有希菜 and 亜希菜 use characters like 希 "hope" and 亜 mainly for their sound and look rather than to build a phrase.
The ending element is often 菜 "greens," a very common closing character in Japanese women's names, or it may be a phonetic character such as 奈 or 那, which supplies sound rather than meaning. Written in kana (あきな), the name carries no dictionary meaning at all. Because of this, statements that Akina has one fixed translation are misleading.
Akina Name History & Origins
Akina belongs to a large group of Japanese women's names formed from a short first element plus -na, alongside names such as Haruna and Yuina. For much of the twentieth century, women's names ending in -ko (Keiko, Yoko, Hanako) were the most widespread; endings such as -na, -mi, and -ka became more frequent in the later decades of the century, and Akina fits that broader shift in naming fashion.
The spelling 明菜 is widely recognized in Japan through the singer Nakamori Akina (中森明菜), a leading pop performer from the 1980s, whose given name is written with those characters. Her fame made the character pairing familiar to a general audience, though the name itself is older and follows ordinary Japanese naming patterns rather than being created for her.
As with most Japanese given names, Akina has no single line of descent from an older language; its history is the history of the characters families choose, which is why different bearers of the name may write it differently and understand it differently.
How Popular is the Name Akina?
Akina has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2011. Its best rank was #3,540 in 1976.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,476 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #10,277 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #9,002 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #6,715 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #8,041 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #9,124 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #8,169 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #9,974 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #7,615 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #8,958 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #12,019 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #8,219 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #5,066 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2010 | #5,604 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #9,397 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #5,958 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #6,109 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #5,554 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #5,113 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #11,659 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #6,589 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #5,903 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #9,375 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #9,905 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #9,507 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,730 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #9,833 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #8,158 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #5,680 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #8,140 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #6,625 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #10,288 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #10,876 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #8,401 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #11,345 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,938 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #9,320 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #10,446 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #9,117 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #6,899 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #3,540 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1975 | #4,594 | 13 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Akina Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Akina's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Akina's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.