Fun Facts About the Name Kiyoko
- 923 babies named Kiyoko: U.S. records list 923 babies given the name Kiyoko from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kiyoko Mean?
Kiyoko is a Japanese feminine given name. It is usually written 清子: 清 (kiyo) means 'pure, clear,' and 子 (ko) means 'child.' The first element is related to the Japanese adjective kiyoi, 'pure, clean, clear,' and the kanji 清 also has Sino-Japanese readings such as sei and shō. The literal sense of the usual spelling is therefore 'pure child.' Japanese given names are written with kanji chosen by parents, so Kiyoko can also be written with other characters. For example, 喜代子 combines 喜 (ki, 'joy'), 代 (yo, 'generation, era'), and 子 (ko, 'child'), and 貴代子 combines 貴 (ki, 'precious') with 代 and 子. These alternate spellings are pronounced the same way but have different literal senses. The familiar meaning 'pure child' belongs specifically to the 清子 spelling.
Kiyoko Name History & Origins
Kiyoko is formed within Japanese. Its written form in kana is きよこ; in kanji it is most often 清子. The name is not borrowed from Chinese as a whole, although the characters 清 and 子 are Chinese characters that became part of Japanese writing. The second element, 子, read ko in this name, literally means 'child.' In earlier centuries it appeared in the names of aristocratic women, and from the Meiji period (1868 - 1912) onward it became a widespread suffix in Japanese women's given names as naming practices were standardized and recorded more fully. Kiyoko belongs to that pattern. Its first element, kiyo, is most commonly the kanji 清, the same element seen in other Japanese names such as Kiyoshi and Kiyomi, though those names use different second elements. The alternative kanji spelling 喜代子 uses 喜 'joy' and 代 'generation, era' with 子, and 貴代子 uses 貴 'precious' with 代 and 子. Such choices are normal in Japanese naming, where the romanized form Kiyoko can represent more than one kanji combination. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, names ending in -ko became less common for newborn girls in Japan, but Kiyoko is still used as a feminine given name.
How Popular is the Name Kiyoko?
Kiyoko recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1921. Its best rank was #979 in 1921.
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 | #12,573 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #9,894 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #9,973 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #10,818 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #9,961 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #12,847 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #11,920 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #13,439 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #9,163 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #9,837 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #8,824 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #16,055 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #14,517 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #16,524 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #16,609 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #11,896 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #12,690 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #14,294 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #12,136 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #11,554 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #8,633 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #8,504 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #9,819 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #11,227 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #8,066 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #6,931 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #7,254 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1941 | #4,734 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #4,588 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,940 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #2,502 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1934 | #2,834 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1933 | #2,219 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1932 | #2,737 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1931 | #2,069 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1930 | #2,371 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1929 | #1,858 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1928 | #1,654 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1927 | #1,290 | 38 | 0.0032% |
| 1926 | #1,343 | 35 | 0.0030% |
| 1925 | #1,392 | 34 | 0.0028% |
| 1924 | #1,270 | 40 | 0.0032% |
| 1923 | #1,009 | 56 | 0.0046% |
| 1922 | #1,001 | 56 | 0.0047% |
| 1921 | #979 | 58 | 0.0047% |
| 1920 | #998 | 55 | 0.0046% |
| 1919 | #1,169 | 41 | 0.0036% |
| 1918 | #1,315 | 34 | 0.0029% |
| 1917 | #1,118 | 41 | 0.0038% |
| 1916 | #1,154 | 38 | 0.0036% |
| 1915 | #1,920 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1914 | #1,783 | 15 | 0.0020% |
| 1913 | #1,716 | 13 | 0.0021% |
| 1912 | #2,251 | 8 | 0.0014% |
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 Kiyoko Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Kiyoko's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kiyoko's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.