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