Unisex · #5,825 in 2026

Aki

Aki is a surname, a given name, and a nickname. Aki is a common Japanese, Finnish and Nigerian given name. Aki is also a Japanese surname.

  • Finnish
  • Japanese
  • Old Norse
  • Icelandic
Current Rank
#5,825
Peak Rank
#3,837 (2021)
Total Babies
395
5-Yr Trend
+21%
👧 Girl peak #6,889 (248 total)
👦 Boy peak #3,837 (395 total)
👦As Boy Name
1971
First Year
2026
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#3837
Peak Rank
395
Total Count
45
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1972
First Year
2022
Last Year
1982
Peak Year
#6889
Peak Rank
248
Total Count
37
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Aki

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Aki is a surname, a given name, and a nickname. Aki is a common Japanese, Finnish and Nigerian given name. Aki is also a Japanese surname.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Finnish
  • Japanese
  • Old Norse
  • Icelandic
  • Faroese

The Story of Aki

As a girl name

American parents first put Aki on the record books as a girl name in 1972, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1982, when 9 Akis were born — ranking #6,889 that year. About 21% of every Aki on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Aki last appeared in the published SSA data in 2022, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 248 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

Aki first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1971, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2021: 16 births, good for #5,562 nationwide. About 26% of every Aki on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Aki ranks #5,825 for boys with 15 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). All told, over 395 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Aki

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Aki. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Aki

Phonetically similar names — useful when Aki is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Aki

What does the name Aki mean?
Aki is a surname, a given name, and a nickname. Aki is a common Japanese, Finnish and Nigerian given name. Aki is also a Japanese surname.
What is the origin of the name Aki?
Aki has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Finnish, Japanese, Old Norse, Icelandic, Faroese.
How popular is Aki in 2026?
In 2026, Aki ranks #5,825 among boys' names in the U.S., with 15 babies given the name that year.
When was Aki most popular?
Aki reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #3,837 that year with 16 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Aki most popular?
Aki has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Aki.
Is Aki a unisex name?
Yes — Aki is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 39% of Akis assigned female and 61% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Aki?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Aki include Oba, Frenchie, Mourice. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Aki?
Common variants and related forms of Aki include Jaakkima, Joakim, Jooa, Kim, Kimi. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Aki

Aki is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 395 births in the dataset. Aki's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #3,837. Use the chart and map above to compare Aki's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.