What does Akira mean?
Akira is commonly written with a kanji meaning “bright” or “clear.”
What does Makoto mean?
Makoto is written with a kanji meaning “sincerity” or “truth.”
Akira vs Makoto
Which is more popular?
Akira is more popular than Makoto today: about 257 US babies were given the name Akira in 2025, compared with 11 named Makoto.
| Akira | Makoto | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright, clear | Sincerity, truth |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | ah-KEE-rah | mah-KOH-toh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1973 | 1915 |
| Peak year | 2008 (424) | 1922 (17) |
| In 2025 | 257 | 11 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Akira
Makoto
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Akira | Makoto |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,378 | 55 |
| 2010s | 2,521 | 107 |
| 2000s | 2,625 | 81 |
| 1990s | 955 | 72 |
| 1980s | 288 | 59 |
| 1970s | 50 | 31 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1930s | 0 | 11 |
| 1920s | 0 | 101 |
| 1910s | 0 | 31 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Akira or Makoto more popular?
Akira is more popular than Makoto today: about 257 US babies were given the name Akira in 2025, compared with 11 named Makoto.
What is the difference between Akira and Makoto?
Akira means Bright, clear (Japanese origin), while Makoto means Sincerity, truth (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Akira or Makoto?
In US records, Akira first appears in 1973 and Makoto in 1915, so Makoto has the longer recorded history.