Akira (あきら)

Akira is read あきら and has 3 beats. Our data lists 3 spellings: 彰, 亜喜良 and 亜紀良. All three are masculine. Some of them are on our hand-reviewed list of everyday names.

Reading

あ·き·ら (3 beats)

Kanji spellings

3 in our data

Gender

Masculine

Source

Hand-reviewed list of everyday names and JMnedict, the open name dictionary

Kanji spellings of Akira

One sound can be written with different kanji. Each spelling below is a different name on paper.

  • 彰
    あきら
    CommonMasculine

    Manifest, clear

  • 亜喜良
    あきら
    Masculine

    Joy + good

    • 亜(あ)— chosen for sound
    • 喜(き)— joy
    • 良(ら)— good
  • 亜紀良
    あきら
    Masculine

    Chronicle + good

    • 亜(あ)— chosen for sound
    • 紀(き)— chronicle
    • 良(ら)— good

The kanji in Akira

What each kanji means on its own, and in how many of the spellings above it appears.

  • 亜chosen for sound2 spellings
  • 良good2 spellings
  • 彰manifest1 spelling
  • 喜joy1 spelling
  • 紀chronicle1 spelling

Akira with common surnames

Full names with a different spelling and surname on each card. Tap a card for the kanji breakdown.

Akira on our lists

Topic pages that include a spelling of this name.

Japanese Names Starting with aJapanese Boy NamesTraditional Japanese Male NamesJapanese Emperor NamesCool Japanese Male NamesEdo Period Japanese Names

Questions about Akira

Is Akira a boy's or a girl's name?

In our data every spelling of Akira is masculine.

What does Akira mean?

Akira is a sound, so the meaning comes from the kanji: 彰 reads as "manifest, clear", 亜喜良 reads as "joy + good" and 亜紀良 reads as "chronicle + good". Those come from what each kanji means by itself, and parents may have had a fuller picture in mind.

How many ways can Akira be written in kanji?

Our data lists 3: 彰, 亜喜良 and 亜紀良. Other spellings exist, so ask how a person writes their own name before you write it for them.

How do you pronounce Akira?

あきら is 3 beats: あ · き · ら. Give every beat the same length and keep vowels short and clear; Japanese has no stressed syllable the way English does.

Where this comes from

The spellings are from our hand-reviewed list of everyday names and from JMnedict, the open Japanese name dictionary. Meanings are built from what each kanji means on its own, so they describe the characters, not what a particular family had in mind.

How we check names · Content last reviewed: 2026-11-08.

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