What does Emi mean?
Emi is often written with kanji for “beautiful” and “blessing” or “smile.”
What does Sakura mean?
Sakura means “cherry blossom,” Japan’s emblematic spring flower; other kanji give other senses.
Emi vs Sakura
Which is more popular?
Emi is more popular than Sakura today: about 303 US babies were given the name Emi in 2025, compared with 58 named Sakura.
| Emi | Sakura | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beautiful blessing | Cherry blossom |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EH-mee | sah-KOO-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1916 | 1970 |
| Peak year | 2025 (303) | 2012 (87) |
| In 2025 | 303 | 58 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Emi
Sakura
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Emi | Sakura |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,314 | 322 |
| 2010s | 1,523 | 702 |
| 2000s | 706 | 595 |
| 1990s | 279 | 113 |
| 1980s | 257 | 41 |
| 1970s | 141 | 10 |
| 1960s | 48 | 0 |
| 1950s | 19 | 0 |
| 1940s | 10 | 0 |
| 1930s | 10 | 0 |
| 1920s | 37 | 0 |
| 1910s | 16 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Emi or Sakura more popular?
Emi is more popular than Sakura today: about 303 US babies were given the name Emi in 2025, compared with 58 named Sakura.
What is the difference between Emi and Sakura?
Emi means Beautiful blessing (Japanese origin), while Sakura means Cherry blossom (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Emi or Sakura?
In US records, Emi first appears in 1916 and Sakura in 1970, so Emi has the longer recorded history.