Minako
Minako is a Japanese feminine given name. Minako can be written using different kanji characters:美奈子, "beauty, apple tree, child" 美那子, "beauty, unknown, child" or "beauty, child" 美菜子, "beauty, (green) vegetable, child" 美名子, "beauty, name, child" 美梨子, "beauty, pear, child" 聖名子, "holy, name, child" 聖奈子, "holy, apple tree, child or holy child" 皆子, "everybody/all, child" 水奈子 "water, apple tree,…
Meaning & Origin of Minako
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Minako is a Japanese feminine given name. Minako can be written using different kanji characters:美奈子, "beauty, apple tree, child" 美那子, "beauty, unknown, child" or "beauty, child" 美菜子, "beauty, (green) vegetable, child" 美名子, "beauty, name, child" 美梨子, "beauty, pear, child" 聖名子, "holy, name, child" 聖奈子, "holy, apple tree, child or holy child" 皆子, "everybody/all, child" 水奈子 "water, apple tree,…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Minako
Minako first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2002, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 7 Minakos were born — ranking #12,187 that year. As of 2026, Minako ranks #14,119 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 13 Minakos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Minako
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Minako (geisha) , a Japanese famous geisha.
- Minako (美奈子), a member of the Japanese musical group Kome Kome Club
- Minako Honda ( 本田 美奈子 ; 1967–2005) , Japanese singer
- Minako Inoue ( 井上 美奈子 ; born 1977) , Japanese singer
- Minako Iwasaki ( 岩崎 美奈子 ; born 1975) , a Japanese illustrator, game character designer, and manga artist
- Minako Komukai ( 小向 美奈子 ; born 1985) , Japanese gravure model
- Minako Kotobuki ( 寿 美菜子 ; born 1991) , a Japanese voice actress and singer
- Minako Nishiyama ( 西山 美なコ ; born 1965) , a Japanese contemporary artist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Minako
Phonetically similar names — useful when Minako 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 Minako
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About the name Minako
Minako is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2002 and has accumulated 13 births in the dataset. Minako's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #12,187. Use the chart and map above to compare Minako's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.