| Nozomi | Akira | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | hope, wish | Bright, clear |
| Origin | japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | no-ZO-mee | ah-KEE-rah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1973 |
| Peak year | 2021 (10) | 2008 (424) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 257 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nozomi | Akira |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41 | 1,378 |
| 2010s | 32 | 2,521 |
| 2000s | 38 | 2,625 |
| 1990s | 19 | 955 |
| 1980s | 13 | 288 |
| 1970s | 0 | 50 |
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.
Akira is commonly written with a kanji meaning “bright” or “clear.”
Akira is more popular than Nozomi today: about 257 US babies were given the name Akira in 2025, compared with 0 named Nozomi.
Nozomi means hope, wish (japanese origin), while Akira means Bright, clear (Japanese origin).
In US records, Nozomi first appears in 0 and Akira in 1973, so Nozomi has the longer recorded history.