| Aiko | Sakura | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Child of love | Cherry blossom |
| Origin | japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AH-ee-koh | sah-KOO-rah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1970 |
| Peak year | 2023 (77) | 2012 (87) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 58 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aiko | Sakura |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 384 | 322 |
| 2010s | 301 | 702 |
| 2000s | 311 | 595 |
| 1990s | 124 | 113 |
| 1980s | 60 | 41 |
| 1970s | 45 | 10 |
| 1950s | 5 | 0 |
| 1940s | 7 | 0 |
| 1930s | 108 | 0 |
| 1920s | 306 | 0 |
| 1910s | 134 | 0 |
A Japanese name most commonly written 愛子, from ai 'love, affection' and ko 'child' — 'child of love, beloved child'. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen, but the 愛 (love) spelling is the standard one.
Sakura means “cherry blossom,” Japan’s emblematic spring flower; other kanji give other senses.
Sakura is more popular than Aiko today: about 58 US babies were given the name Sakura in 2025, compared with 0 named Aiko.
Aiko means Child of love (japanese origin), while Sakura means Cherry blossom (Japanese origin).
In US records, Aiko first appears in 0 and Sakura in 1970, so Aiko has the longer recorded history.