Hikaru
Hikaru is a Japanese unisex given name meaning "light" or "radiance".
Meaning & Origin of Hikaru
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hikaru is a Japanese unisex given name meaning "light" or "radiance".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hikaru
As a girl name
Hikaru first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1992, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 7 Hikarus were born — ranking #10,478 that year. As of 2026, Hikaru ranks #15,431 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 18 Hikarus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Hikaru first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1992, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 14 Hikarus were born — ranking #5,781 that year. As of 2026, Hikaru ranks #10,860 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 162 Hikarus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hikaru
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hikaru (singer) ( ヒカル ; born 1987) , Japanese singer and member of the J-pop group Kalafina
- Hikaru Akao ( 赤尾 ひかる ; born 1995) , Japanese voice actress
- Hikaru Aoyama ( 青山 ひかる ; born 1993) , Japanese singer
- Hikaru Arai ( 新井 光 ; born 1999) , Japanese footballer
- Hikaru Asami ( ひかる ; born 1972) , Japanese performing artist and a former member of the Takarazuka Revue
- Hikaru Ezaki ( 江崎 ひかる ; born 2004) , Japanese K-pop performer, a member of Kep1er
- Hikaru Fujii ( 藤井 光 ; born 1976) , Japanese artist
- Hikaru Fujiwara ( 藤原 光 ; born 2003) , Japanese professional footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hikaru
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hikaru 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 Hikaru
What does the name Hikaru mean?
How popular is Hikaru in 2026?
When was Hikaru most popular?
In which U.S. states is Hikaru most popular?
Is Hikaru a unisex name?
What names go well with Hikaru?
About the name Hikaru
Hikaru is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1992 and has accumulated 162 births in the dataset. Hikaru's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #5,781. Use the chart and map above to compare Hikaru's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2006 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.