Akiko (given name)

Akiko (あきこ, アキコ) is a feminine Japanese given name.

Akiko

Pronunciation	AH-kee-koh
Gender	Female
Origin
Word/name	Japanese
Meaning	Different meanings depending on the kanji used
Region of origin	Japan
Other names
Related names	Aki Akihiko Akira Akinori

Possible writings

The kanji characters 晶 meaning "sparkle", 明 meaning "bright", and 秋 meaning "autumn" are three variations of ways to write "Aki" and the kanji 子 is a common suffix to female given names in Japan. In Japanese 子 (syllable for "ko") is the character which means "child". Akiko can also be written many different ways and can have different meanings depending on which kanji is used and can also be written using the katakana and hiragana writing systems. Variations of Akiko include:

• 亜妃子, "Asia, queen, child"
• 安希子, "peaceful, hope, child"
• 明子, "bright, child"
• 充子, "provide, child"
• 上子, "superior, above, child"
• 暁子, "dawn, child"

People

• Princess Akiko of Mikasa (彬子女王), member of the Japanese Imperial Family
• Akiko Abe (阿部 哲子, born 1978), Japanese announcer and actress
• Akiko Akasaka (赤坂 明子, born 1951), Japanese cross-country skier
• Akiko Aruga (有賀 秋子, born 1942), Japanese speed skater
• Akiko Domoto (堂本 暁子), former governor of Chiba Prefecture, Japan
• Akiko Fukuda (福田 晶子, born 1937), Japanese long jumper
• Akiko Futaba (二葉 あき子, 1915-2011), Japanese Ryūkōka singer
• Akiko Hasegawa (長谷川 明子), Japanese voice actress and singer
• Akiko Hatanaka (畠中 亜希子, born 1975), Japanese ice hockey player
• Akiko Hinagata (雛形あきこ), Japanese actress, television talent, and former gravure idol
• Akiko Hiramatsu (平松 晶子, born 1967), Japanese voice actress
• Akiko Itoyama (絲山 秋子, born 1966), Japanese writer
• Akiko Iwamoto (岩本 亜希子, born 1978), Japanese rower who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics
• Akiko Kamei (亀井 亜紀子), Japanese politician of the People's New Party, and a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet
• Akiko Kato (加藤 彰子, born 1988), Japanese field hockey player
• Akiko Kijimuta (雉子牟田 明子, born 1968), Japanese tennis player
• Akiko Kobayashi (singer) (小林明子), a Japanese singer, composer, arranger, and songwriter
• Akiko Kobayashi (voice actor) (小林 晃子), voice actress and singer from Japan
• Akiko Kojima (児島 明子), a Japanese actress and the first Miss Universe to come from Asia
• Akiko Koyama (小山 明子, born 1935), Japanese actress
• Akiko Matsumoto (松本 明子, born 1966), Japanese television personality and actress
• Akiko Matsuura, singer and drummer from Osaka, Japan who plays for the British bands; The Big Pink, Comanechi, and Pre
• Akiko Miyajima (宮島 秋子, born 1966), Japanese javelin thrower
• Akiko Miyamura (宮村 亜貴子, born 1974), Japanese badminton player
• Akiko Monō (桃生 亜希子), an actress and model from Japan
• Akiko Morigami (森上 亜希子, born 1980), Japanese tennis player
• Akiko Naka (仲 晶子, born 1980), Japanese ice hockey player
• Akiko Nakakura (中倉 彰子, born 1977), Japanese shogi player
• Akiko Nishina (仁科亜希子), Japanese actress
• Akiko Niwata (庭田 亜樹子, born 1984), Japanese women's footballer
• Akiko Shikata (志方あきこ), Japanese composer and singer-songwriter
• Akiko Suwanai (諏訪内 晶子), Japanese classical violinist
• Akiko Suzuki (鈴木 明子), Japanese figure skater
• Akiko Takojima, professional shogi player
• Akiko Tsuruga (敦賀明子), jazz keyboard musician, composer, organist, and pianist from Osaka
• Akiko Wada (和田 アキ子), singer and television tarento from Ikuno-ku
• Akiko Wakabayashi (若林 映子), Japanese actress best known for her role as Bond girl, Aki in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice
• Akiko Yada (矢田亜希子), an actress from Kawasaki, Japan
• Akiko Yajima (矢島 晶子), voice actress from Kashiwazaki, Japan
• Akiko Yano (矢野 顕子), a Japanese singer and pop/jazz musician
• Akiko Yazawa, backgammon player
• Akiko Yosano (与謝野 晶子, 1878-1942), Japanese poet, feminist and social reformer of late 19th-early 20th century Japan
• Akiko Yoshida (吉田 亜紀子, born 1976), Japanese pop singer better known under her stagename KOKIA
• Empress Shōshi, former Empress of Japan, who was also known as Akiko

Fictional characters

• Aki, a female ninja and Japanese agent played by Akiko Wakabayashi in the 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice. Wakabayashi convinced director Lewis Gilbert to change the name of her character to one closer to her own
• Akiko Hiroguchi, a girl born with fur in the 1985 Kurt Vonnegut novel Galápagos
• Akiko Minase (水瀬 秋子), a supporting character in the anime, visual novel, and manga series Kanon
• Akiko Narumi (鳴海 亜樹子), a character in the tokusatsu drama series Kamen Rider W
• Akiko Yoshida (吉田 暁子), a minor character and Steve Smith's crush in the animated sitcom American Dad!
• Akiko Bloom, a character in CutiePieMarzia (Marzia Bisognin)'s novel Dream House