| Hikaru | Nozomi | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light, radiance | hope, wish |
| Origin | Japanese | japanese |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | hee-KAH-roo | no-ZO-mee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1992 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2006 (14) | 2021 (10) |
| In 2025 | 7 | 0 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hikaru | Nozomi |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 18 | 41 |
| 2010s | 36 | 32 |
| 2000s | 69 | 38 |
| 1990s | 46 | 19 |
| 1980s | 0 | 13 |
Hikaru means “light” or “radiance” in Japanese.
A Japanese name meaning 'hope' (希) or 'wish' (望), depending on the kanji chosen. Listed as both feminine and masculine, though more often given to girls. Meaning depends on the specific characters used.
Hikaru is more popular than Nozomi today: about 7 US babies were given the name Hikaru in 2025, compared with 0 named Nozomi.
Hikaru means Light, radiance (Japanese origin), while Nozomi means hope, wish (japanese origin).
In US records, Hikaru first appears in 1992 and Nozomi in 0, so Nozomi has the longer recorded history.