What does Sota mean?
Sota often joins the kanji for “sudden, gallant” with “thick” or “big.”
What does Haruki mean?
Haruki commonly combines kanji for “spring” or “sunlight” with “radiance” or “tree.”
Sota vs Haruki
Which is more popular?
Haruki is more popular than Sota today: about 18 US babies were given the name Haruki in 2025, compared with 15 named Sota.
| Sota | Haruki | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Gallant, big | Spring; shining |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SOH-tah | hah-ROO-kee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1997 | 1990 |
| Peak year | 2015 (22) | 2014 (20) |
| In 2025 | 15 | 18 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Sota
Haruki
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Sota | Haruki |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 55 | 86 |
| 2010s | 110 | 147 |
| 2000s | 38 | 95 |
| 1990s | 11 | 21 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sota or Haruki more popular?
Haruki is more popular than Sota today: about 18 US babies were given the name Haruki in 2025, compared with 15 named Sota.
What is the difference between Sota and Haruki?
Sota means Gallant, big (Japanese origin), while Haruki means Spring; shining (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Sota or Haruki?
In US records, Sota first appears in 1997 and Haruki in 1990, so Haruki has the longer recorded history.