What does Akari mean?
Akari is commonly written with kanji meaning “light” or “brightness.”
What does Emi mean?
Emi is often written with kanji for “beautiful” and “blessing” or “smile.”
Akari vs Emi
Which is more popular?
Emi is more popular than Akari today: about 303 US babies were given the name Emi in 2025, compared with 104 named Akari.
| Akari | Emi | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light, brightness | Beautiful blessing |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ah-KAH-ree | EH-mee |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1990 | 1916 |
| Peak year | 2023 (111) | 2025 (303) |
| In 2025 | 104 | 303 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Akari
Emi
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Akari | Emi |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 513 | 1,314 |
| 2010s | 386 | 1,523 |
| 2000s | 176 | 706 |
| 1990s | 57 | 279 |
| 1980s | 0 | 257 |
| 1970s | 0 | 141 |
| 1960s | 0 | 48 |
| 1950s | 0 | 19 |
| 1940s | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 37 |
| 1910s | 0 | 16 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Akari or Emi more popular?
Emi is more popular than Akari today: about 303 US babies were given the name Emi in 2025, compared with 104 named Akari.
What is the difference between Akari and Emi?
Akari means Light, brightness (Japanese origin), while Emi means Beautiful blessing (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Akari or Emi?
In US records, Akari first appears in 1990 and Emi in 1916, so Emi has the longer recorded history.