Skip to content
boyandgirlnames
0 saved

Aiko

Girl name · Japanese

Meaningoften beloved child · Japanese

Aiko is a Japanese girl name often meaning “beloved child”. In Japan, parents often choose a name as much for the kanji characters behind it as for its sound, so the same name can carry several shades of meaning. A meaning like this gives a child something to grow into, and a good story to tell when someone asks about their name. It sounds soft and friendly, it's easy to spell and quick to call across a playground, and it pairs well with middle names of almost any length.

Did you know?

  • Word funEvery letter in Aiko is in alphabetical order: A-I-K-O. That's rarer than you'd think.
  • GenerationAiko peaked in 1919, which makes it a Greatest Generation name, think great-grandparents. Now it's back in style, so there's a whole new generation of baby Aikos too.
  • Roll callIn a typical school of 500 kids, your Aiko would very likely be the only one. About 1 in 25,510 baby girls got the name in 2025.
  • HistoryAiko first shows up in US birth records in 1912, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 113 years since.
  • Boy or girlAiko truly works for either: 83% of the 76 babies named Aiko in 2025 were girls, the rest boys.
Baby smiling with eyes closed
hello, little Aiko

US births per million girls, 1912–2025

024481912196020002025

Similar names

Unisex name: NikoGirl name: EmikoGirl name: YumikoGirl name: KeikoGirl name: KimikoUnisex name: Aiken
Blend Aiko with another name

Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.

Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).

About the name Aiko

Aiko is a girl name of Japanese origin meaning “often beloved child”. Its two syllables give it an easy rhythm, and the open vowel at the end makes it sound soft and warm. It was most fashionable in the 1910s, which gives it a vintage, grandparent-chic charm, and it's now coming back into style. It's rarely heard today, so it stands out while still being a real, established name.

Origin:Japanese names

More Japanese girl names

Questions about the name Aiko

What does the name Aiko mean?

Aiko means “often beloved child” and comes from Japanese. Names built around “beloved” have been loved for generations, and give a child a meaning worth sharing when someone asks about their name. Other girl names with a similar meaning include Mia (“possibly beloved”), Maria (“possibly beloved”), Mary (“possibly beloved”) and Molly (“possibly beloved”).

What is the origin of the name Aiko?

Aiko is Japanese in origin. Other Japanese names to consider are Naomi (“pleasantness”), Noa (“movement”), Reina (“queen”) and Aya (“sign, verse”).

Is Aiko a boy or girl name?

Aiko is a girl name, though a few boys are given it too each year. In 2025, 63 US girls were named Aiko.

How popular is the name Aiko?

Aiko ranked #2,719 for US girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1919, when it reached #1,155. Over the last five years it has climbed 171 places.

What names are similar to Aiko?

If you like Aiko, you might also like Mia, Maria, Mary and Molly.

What should I know before naming my baby Aiko?

Aiko is a Japanese girl name often meaning “beloved child”. In Japan, parents often choose a name as much for the kanji characters behind it as for its sound, so the same name can carry several shades of meaning. A meaning like this gives a child something to grow into, and a good story to tell when someone asks about their name. It sounds soft and friendly, it's easy to spell and quick to call across a playground, and it pairs well with middle names of almost any length. Say it out loud with your last name and any middle names you're considering, and check the initials it makes.